Abstract
To the registration of the centric maxillomandibular relation in edentulous patient, we can employ a technique to utilize the tapping area. This area is collection of tapping points recorded on the tracing plate of an intraoral gothic arch tracer by having patients undergo habitual small opening and closing of the mandibular. When we use this method, it is necessary to record the tapping area of adequate mandibular position. In this study, we investigated tapping force by applying this technique.
Ten dentulous subjects were allowed to make tapping movements of varying force in order to examine the appearance of the right-left position of the tapping area. We also compared the right -left and antero-posterior position of tapping areas.
Results follow.
1. As tapping force increased, eight of ten cases had changes in the right-left position of the tapping area from around the intercuspal position. Consequently, effective tapping force for tapping area recording was revealed to be light (less than 0.6kg).
2. As tapping force increased, we recognized changes in the tapping areas of both the right-left and antero-posterior positions. Of the ten cases studied, nine showed more significant changes in the antero-posterior position than the right-left position of the tapping area.
