title: A study on the tapping point drawing method for registration of maxillomandibular relationships in edentulous patients: Part I. Influence of the tapping force on the tapping point.
abstract: To investigate the registration of maxillomandibular relationships by the tapping point drawing method, the characteristics of tapping points were measured in ten edentulous subjects by tracing the tapping points when various tapping forces were used. In seven subjects, when tapping involved a heavy force, the tapping point position markedly shifted from the position when light force was used. The position of the tapping point shifted in the antero-posterior direction in five subjects and in the right-left direction in two others. The tapping point position of the other three subjects did not change when stronger tapping forces were applied; these tapping points either coincided with the apex of the gothic arch or included it. Furthermore, in all subjects, the tapping point size increased when the degree of tapping force increased. However, the degree of increase in tapping point size was smaller in the subjects in whom the tapping point position coincided with the apex of the gothic arch or included it. From these findings, we have confirmed that accurate tapping point tracing necessitates controlling the tapping force.
authors.affiliation: Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omatsu
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record / Q000379:methods*; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010474:Percussion