REGISTRATION OF CENTRIC OCCLUSION IN PATIENTS WITH BRUXISM AND BRUXOMANIA THROUGH ARTICULATING PAPER AND THE SYSTEM T-SCAN - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The study and documentation of occlusal-articulation relationships has a high diagnostic significance in patients with bruxism and bruxomania. The study aims on the basis of registration of occlusal contacts via articulating paper and the T-Scan system to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of both methods in occlusal diagnosis of patients with bruxism and bruxomania. Material and Methods: 40 patients with bruxism and / or bruxomania (29 women and 11 men) aged between 21 and 77 years from October 2010 to February 2014 was conducted computerized occlusal analysis using the systems T-Scan II (in 12 patients), T-Scan III (in 28 patients) and the software T-Scan III. All patients were subjected to registration of occlusal relationships in centric occlusion (CO) with articulating paper Bausch PROGRESS 100 µ and Bausch® Arti-Fol® 8 µ. Results and Discussion: In 90.0% of patients it is established unevenly distributed, irregular in size and intensity occlusal contacts. Essential factor for preventing the spontaneous bilateral closure with balanced forces is the presence of interceptive contacts and sliding occurring in the first frame of the occlusion time until the maximum intercuspation - MIP. Conclusion: Registration with articulating paper visualizes cumulative picture of the contacts in CO and interceptive contacts without being able to distinguish them in size and time of onset. Computerized occlusal analysis objectively and quantitatively determines interceptive contacts and distinguishes them from contacts in MIP and gives real meaning to the terms "strong" and "light contacts".