Long-term observation of occlusal contacts by color marking with articulating paper

Abstract

Articulating paper with a thickness of 30 μm is widely available in a daily dental practice. It can be usually used through color marking of the occlusal contacts on the occlusal surface of the tooth, observing the semi-transparent portion of the paper after biting, and pulling the paper during biting. When seating an artificial crown in the mouth, acceptable height of crown can be obtained with combination of these methods. Analyzing the semi-transparent portion of the paper after biting has been conducted comparing with silicone materials for the occlusal registration. However, the occlusal record of the color marking of the occlusal contacts has not been enough utilized because of uncertainty of the method. In this study, usefulness of the color marking method for the analysis of the occlusal condition was studied through long-term recording.