Comparative Study of Occlusal Contact Marking Indicators.

BACKGROUND: A variety of indicators to register occlusal contacts are used in the daily dental practice. One of the most frequently used qualitative occlusal indicators is the articulating paper. Its reliability is often disputed because this indicator could produce false positive results or fail to register any occlusal contacts. AIM: To compare the number and size of the recorded contacts on a tooth surface obtained with articulating paper and foil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Typodonts of upper and lower jaw with intact dental arches Frasaco A-3Z were fixed in a Girbach arcon articulator. Articulating contacts were marked with 12-micron Bausch articulating foil and 200-micron Bausch articulating paper under the same load. For each study a new sheet of the occlusal indicators was used, and 10 repetitions were made for each one. After every marking, the lower jaw was dismounted from the articulator and the distribution of the markings was videographed using a camera. The number of occlusal contacts was entered in a table. We analysed the markings on the first maxillary and first mandibular molars. RESULTS: We found that fewer and bigger contacts were recorded using the 200-micron articulating paper in comparison with the contacts obtained using the foil. CONCLUSIONS: The type of occlusal contact indicator has an effect on the number and the size of the occlusal contact markings.