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Original article
Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School,
3 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
b
Center for Advanced Dental Health Care, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan
Received 13 January 2011; received in revised form 6 April 2011; accepted 20 April 2011
Available online 1 July 2011
Abstract
Purpose: We studied the relationship between tapping point reproducibility and stability of occlusal contacts at maximum intercuspation.
Methods: Tapping movements of 12 adult volunteers who had dentition with natural teeth were recorded, and distances between the tapping point
(TP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) at the incisal point were calculated. Occlusal contacts at the ICP of individual subjects were also evaluated
with black-colored silicone impression material. The correlation between TPICP distance and occlusal contact stability was studied.
Results: TPICP distance exhibited negative correlations with the total number of teeth showing occlusal contact at the ICP. Standard deviations of
TPICP distance also negatively correlated with the extension of occlusal contact area over dentition.
Conclusions: This finding indicates that occlusal contacts at the ICP affect the kinematic behavior of tapping movements. The results of this study
also suggest that jaw movement data may provide useful clinical information for the evaluation of occlusal contact at ICP.
# 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Tapping point; Jaw movement; Occlusal contact
1. Introduction
Jaw closing position, obtained by tapping movement from
the mandibular rest position, i.e., the tapping point, is known to
coincide with the maximal intercuspal position [1]. Therefore,
tapping movement is frequently used for occlusal adjustment
and occlusal registration in dental practice. Tapping movement
has also been reported to affect tapping speed (frequency),
range of mouth opening, head and body posture, etc. [28].
Ueno et al. [9] reported that experimental alternation of
occlusal contact pattern with maxillary occlusal splint affected
tapping point distribution. They concluded that change in the
occlusal contact resulted in a deviation of the tapping point
from the original maximum intercuspal position (ICP).
ICP is one of the most important occlusal positions for jaw
function such as mastication. Interference and/or insufficient
occlusal support disturbs this position and may cause
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 88 633 7350; fax: +81 88 633 7391.
E-mail address: keisuke@dent.tokushima-u.ac.jp (K. Nishigawa).
1883-1958/$ see front matter # 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jpor.2011.04.005
131
Fig. 2. Occlusal contact area was detected by passing translucent light through
the black silicone occlusal registration record. A thickness gauge made with the
same silicone material was utilized to evaluate the thickness of the silicone film
from the gradation of the translucent light.
132
Fig. 3. Occlusal contact extent area is drawn with lines connecting the outer
edge of the occlusal contact area with convex angles. The size of this area
indicates the stability of maximum intercuspation.
3. Results
Fig. 4 shows a horizontal view of all tapping points. A total
of 180 points (15 points for 12 subjects) and 12 average
representative individual tapping points are seen in the graph.
Table 1 presents all the parameters of tapping movement and
occlusal contact stability. Table 2 presents a list of teeth that
showed occlusal contacts at the ICP. Correlation coefficient
among all the variables is shown in Table 3.
4. Discussion
In normal dentition, occlusal contacts at the ICP are found
on the occlusal surface of all molar teeth. These occlusal
contacts function to stabilize the mandible at this position.
Absence of teeth and/or insufficient dental restoration may
cause poor occlusal contacts and result in unstable ICP. Such
occlusal contacts may not exhibit satisfactory masticatory
efficiency and is sometimes found in patients with temporomandibular dysfunction [11]. In this research, we focused on
whether tapping point reproducibility could also influence
occlusal contact stability. Since tapping movement was
performed rapidly with a small range of mouth opening, the
jaw-closing point during this movement was close to the
muscular position [12]. Maximum distance from the tapping
point to the ICP was less than 0.40 mm in all subjects; from this,
it can be said that the muscular positions of these subjects
nearly coincide with the ICP.
However, detailed evaluation of the TPICP distance
showed that this distance positively correlated with individual
distribution of TPICP distance (Table 3). When the tapping
point was closer to the ICP, the distribution of the tapping point
was smaller, while longer TPICP distance was associated with
133
Table 1
Kinematic parameters of tapping movements and occlusal contact parameters that represent intercuspal position stability in all subjects.
Subject
Tapping movement
Occlusal contacts
TPICP
distance (mm)
TPICP S.D.
(mm)
Frequency
(Hz)
Mouth opening
(mm)
Occlusal contacts
area (mm2)
Occlusal contact
extent area (mm2)
Occlusal contact
teeth (num)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
0.02
0.03
0.03
0.08
0.10
0.11
0.15
0.18
0.20
0.22
0.36
0.39
0.010
0.013
0.015
0.030
0.026
0.013
0.010
0.038
0.032
0.093
0.049
0.042
3.26
4.11
2.66
2.59
2.69
4.96
3.61
3.39
3.96
2.27
3.41
3.54
1.96
1.15
6.24
6.92
5.73
0.95
3.43
3.87
2.44
2.53
1.20
2.16
16.09
21.96
31.10
40.16
41.14
33.09
20.43
4.66
16.47
6.24
22.19
6.94
1638
1668
2447
1746
2272
2209
1858
1065
1874
1107
1426
1337
9
13
16
11
16
13
14
6
11
7
10
4
Mean
0.16
0.031
3.37
3.22
21.71
1721
10.8
Table 2
List of teeth that showed occlusal contacts at the intercuspal position in all subjects. +with occlusal contact; blank, without occlusal contacts; /, missing tooth.
Subject
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
18
/
+
+
+
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
17
16
15
14
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
13
+
+
+
+
+
+
12
11
21
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
22
+
+
+
+
+
+
23
24
25
26
27
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
28
/
+
/
+
/
/
/
/
/
/
Table 3
Correlation coefficients between variables of tapping movement and occlusal contacts.
TPICP distance
TPICP S.D.
Frequency
Mouth opening
Occlusal contacts area
Occlusal contact extent area
Occlusal contact teeth
*
**
TPICP S.D.
Frequency
Mouth opening
0.5042
0.3658
0.3567
0.8013**
0.7998**
0.885**
0.5938
0.0373
0.3567
0.4988
0.55
0.6245*
0.4772
0.0958
0.4786
0.6537*
0.5778*
0.6766*
0.0437
0.1474
0.0539
p < 0.05.
p < 0.01.
134
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135