MASTICATORY TOOTH CONTACT PATTERNS - PREDICTED AND OBSERVED CUSPID AND FIRST MOLAR CONTACTS IN CUSPID AND GROUP-FUNCTION

Using the mouth as an ''in vivo articulator,'' the bilateral nonmastic atory (''empty'') contact patterns of opposing cuspid and first molar teeth were determined in two healthy subjects with well-defined cuspid function and two healthy subjects with well-defined group function. T he electronically recorded ''empty'' contact patterns pertained to the static intercuspal position and dynamic laterotrusion to the right an d the left. On the basis of the ''empty'' tooth contact patterns and t he number of electronically recorded masticatory cycles of one mastica tory sequence, we postulated two simple models that attempted to predi ct the masticatory (''functional'') tooth contacts of one sequence of unilateral mastication of apple and banana. Statistical comparisons be tween the predictions of the two models and the actual (''functional'' ) contacts of in vivo mastication showed that the models predicted fai rly well the observed tooth contacts on the nonchewing-side of the mou th, but not the observed tooth contacts on the chewing-side of the mou th. In consequence, ''empty'' (nonmasticatory) tooth contact patterns should not be equated with ''functional'' (masticatory) tooth contact patterns.