title: Face-bow record without a third point of reference: theoretical considerations and an alternative technique.
abstract: Accurate mounting of dental casts is achieved by transferring the tridimensional spatial relationship of the maxillary arch to an articulator. A face-bow is used to transfer this relationship to the articulator, usually by relating the face-bow to a plane of reference. The most common reference plane is the Frankfort plane, which has been assumed to be horizontal when the patient is in the natural head position. The axis-orbitale plane has also been considered horizontal and used as reference. However, it has been shown that both planes are not horizontal, and mounting a maxillary cast according to these planes can result in an inaccurate mounting. This article describes an alternative procedure for face-bow transfer without a plane of reference, and uses the angular relationship between the occlusal plane and the condylar path to mount the maxillary cast on the articulator. The elimination of a reference plane, to which relate the functional determinants of occlusion, avoids an additional source of error during the mounting procedure.
authors.affiliation: Eastman Dental Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14620, USA. carlo_ercoli@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ercoli
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Graser
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Tallents
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galindo
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003725:Dental Articulators; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003765:Models, Dental; D009915:Orbit / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011187:Posture