CANINE TOOTH GUIDANCE AND TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT SOUNDS IN NONPATIENTS AND PATIENTS

In 46 non-patients and 46 patients, the authors examined the presence (+) and absence (-) of canine tooth guidance (CG), i.e. dynamic dental articulation events in contrast to static dental occlusion events. Du ring a right and a left laterotrusion of the mandible, the number of s imple, mutually exclusive and exhaustive tooth guidance events (possib ilities) was four. In addition, the authors examined the associations between temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds and canine guidance event s. In non-patients, CG+ was relatively infrequent (30%), and CG- was r elatively frequent (70%). In patients, CG+ was relatively infrequent ( 22%), and CG- was relatively frequent (78%). In both non-patients and patients, bilateral CG+ was rather infrequent (15%). In both nonpatien ts and patients with the presence of TMJ sounds, CG+ was relatively in frequent (38%) while CG- was relatively frequent (61%). In non-patient s as well as patients, no evidence was found that distal CG+ (putative lateral retrusive guidance) was associated with ipsilateral TMJ sound s (relative risk = 0%), nor that the association between mesial CG+ (p utative lateral protrusive guidance) and ipsilateral TMJ sounds was be yond that of mere chance (relative risk = 50%).