A case of the right articular process dysplasia treated with application of a gothic arch tracer

Abstract

A 71-year-old female patient presented with the right articular process dysplasia. She had not received any dental treatment for more than 20 years. A full denture in the upper jaw and a partial denture in the lower jaw were used to restore function. The lack of articular process meant that there was no guide by the temporomandibular joint, so it was very difficult to take a bite registration. The gothic arch tracing method was chosen as the registration technique, and the tracing device was set up so that there would be as little change as possible, since changes in the vertical dimension easily cause errors. The drawing was asymmetrical and always deviated to the right. Due to the difficulty of the case, the gothic arch tracing was obtained not only for the examination but also for the remounting adjustment, and the final denture was made in the same way. Good results were obtained after 6 months of final denture placement.