dc.description.abstract | The maximal intercuspal position (MIP), a maxillomandibular relationship guided by the best fit of opposing teeth, is often used as a treatment position in restorative dentistry. However, there is evidence that the MIP may not be a voluntary easily repeatable intraoral position. The purpose of this in vivo study was to use axiography to evaluate the reproducibility of the maximal intercuspal position, and to determine the effects that the use of a vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) interocclusal record, a 30 ga interocclusal wax deprogrammer, and the position of the subject, either supine or in the alert feeding position, have on this reproducibility. Para-occlusal clutches were fabricated for twenty subjects for use with the Axioquick AQR axiographic software, which records the positions of the condyles on X-, Y-, and Z-axes. A bite registration calibration jig was made for each subject to set a reference position “0” at the start of each group of trials, then the subject successively closed in the MIP five times for each group. The data was transferred to Excel and SPSS for analysis. The results indicated significant differences between successive axiographic recordings of MIP bites on the X-axis and Z-axis in all of the Groups. These differences were skewed anterior and inferior compared to the reference position. The largest differences were found in the groups that used VPS or wax. No significant differences were found between MIP recordings on the Y-axis (medial-lateral direction) for any of the groups. | en |