An Evaluation of Occlusal Contacts of Remounted Complete Denture before Final Occlusal Adjustment

Statement of problem: There are various studies about the advantages and effect of remounting procedures on success of complete dentures; however, the number and distribution of occlusal contacts of remounted complete dentures before occlusal adjustment have not been sufficiently assessed. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution and number of occlusal contacts of remounted complete dentures in centric relation before occlusal adjustment Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 207 newly constructed complete dentures were remounted on a modified two dimensional articulators. For identification of occlusal contacts, a 60 micron articulating paper was used to mark the actual contacts of the opposing teeth. The articulating paper was interposed between the teeth, and contacts were obtained by holding the articulating paper between the opposing teeth. The number and distribution of the occlusal contacts on each complete denture in centric relation were recorded and analyzed, using descriptive statistics. Results: Out of the 207 studied complete dentures, 203 had occlusal contacts. Among 203 complete dentures, 138 (68%) and 65 (32%) had bilateral and unilateral occlusal contacts, respectively. The total number of occlusal contacts was 713 with a range of 1-14. The mean number of occlusal contacts was 3.44 ± 2.29 Conclusion: The results suggest that the number of occlusal contacts of remounted complete dentures before occlusal adjustments by articulating paper was low, the posterior teeth did not meet evenly all around the arch at the first contact, and delivery of such complete dentures may lead to occlusal error and unstable complete denture.