Importance of Centric Relation Registration by the Patients with Complete Dentures
(Practical Report)

Overview

Introduction and aims:
Exact registration of the centric relation by the edentulous patient is one of the main pillars of dentures stability and retention. This registration is possible using the conventional method with the occlusal rims according to Walkhof, or modification of it, or instrumental method - a gothic arch tracing. The aim of this paper is to compare conventional with the instrumental method and statistical accuracy of them.

Methods:
It was set the file of 267 patients with upper or lower complete denture. The patients were examined clinically and the panoramatic X-ray (orthopantomogram) was done. By 201 patients (75.3%) from our file was indicated upper and lower complete denture, both jaws were edentulous. Patients from our file were divided into two groups. The first group includes the patients where the registration was done using the conventional method, and the second group of patients where the registration was done by using the gothic arch method and Gerber’s facebow registration.

Results:
The results of the examination were evaluated statistically and it was shown that registration of centric relation is more accurate using the gothic arch method.

Conclusion:
From our investigation it is apparent that during the procedure of upper and lower complete denture is recommended to set the centric relation registration using instrumental methods.

Keywords:
gothic arch – centric relation – Gerber face bow