The Bennett Angle
Clinical Comparison of Different Recording Methods
Paul J. Boulos, D.D.S. Dr.PH.; Salim M. Adib, M.D., Dr.PH.; Levon J. Naltchayan, D.D.S.
Abstract
The use of interocclusal records with semi-adjustable
articulators has been proposed as an easier alternative to
axiograph. The operator measured the Bennett angle of 30
participants using an axiograph Quick-Axis, an arcon
Whip-Mix and non-arcon Dentatus articulators. Wax and
polyether interocclusal recording materials were used with
both types of articulators. Compared to the reference axio-
graph, the Whip-Mix plus wax combination was the near-
est one and the Dentatus plus polyether was the most sig-
nificantly different combination.
THE HARMONY OF A DENTAL PROSTHESIS with movements of
the jaw is a crucial step toward structural and functional preserva-
tion of teeth and oral tissues and reduction of intraoral adjust-
ments. The construction of a dental prosthesis requires use of an
articulator able to closely mimic mandibular movements. The
articulator’s condylar settings can be calculated by two methods:
extraoral tracing devices and eccentric interocclusal records.
Studies that compared extraoral tracing devices in measuring
condylar inclinations to eccentric interocclusal records have consis-
tently found that results with the former were more reproducible1
and accurate than with those with the latter. Among the instru-
ments available for extraoral tracing, the simplified jaw tracking
devices (Panadent quick analyzer, Whip-Mix quick set recorder,
axiograph) are the most practical ones. They record the movements
of the jaw in the sagittal plan only in contrast to the more compli-
cated pantograph.
34 NYSDJ • MARCH 2008
Various studies have considered the amplitude2-5 and nature of
the path of the nonworking condyle in the horizontal plane during
lateral excursion, the so-called Bennett angle, especially when an
immediate mandibular lateral translation exists.6-11 Investigations
have shown that the accuracy of the mechanical axiograph com-
pared favorably with the electronic version in determining the
transverse hinge axis.12 Compared to magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), the axiograph showed acceptable results in diagnostic pro-
cedures.13 However, extraoral devices are sensitive to the operator’s
skill14 and require additional expenses for equipment.
The easier eccentric interocclusal records are widely used and
routinely suggested in dental textbooks as an alternative to the
axiographs.15 Dos Santos suggested that arcon-type articulators
simulated jaw movements more closely than non-arcon types.6
However, Gross et al.16 questioned the reproducibility of three arcon
semi-adjustable articulators. And Posselt et al.17 praised the
Dentatus articulator for its reliability. Investigations of recording
materials in interocclusal records techniques have indicated that
elastomeric materials, such as polyether or polyvinyl siloxanes,
were superior to wax.18 However, at least one group of authors gave
credit to wax over other interocclusal recording materials.19
A clinical trial was conducted to investigate the performance of
four methods for measuring Bennett angle (BA),using different com-
binations of interocclusal materials and semi-adjustable articulators
(arcon and non-arcon).This article reports on their respective perfor-
mances compared to an axiograph that was used as a reference.
Materials and Methods
Thirty dental school graduates and undergraduates of both sexes
and between the ages of 18 and 33 agreed to participate in this clin-
ical study. All participants signed an informed consent form. To be
eligible, the participants had to have a complete dentition and an
Angle Class I jaw relation and no extractions, artificial crowns or
extensive restorations. Participants had to be free of signs and
symptoms of temporomandibular disorders or parafunctions, such
as bruxism. They could not have any centric slide between the cen-
tric relation position and the maximum intercuspation position, to
ensure unbiased measurements.
All participants were subjected to the same set of combined
measurements. Their BAs were measured using the Quick-Axis Figure 1. Zeroed
micrometer at origin
axiograph (Sintec, East Wakefield, NH). This measurement was consid- of axes in centric
ered the standard reference. Their BAs were subsequently mea- relation position.

sured using interocclusal records on various types of articulators.

Procedures
An axiograph Quick-Axis (Sintec, East Wakefield, NH) was mounted on
the head and the mandible according to manufacturer’s instruc-
tions. The clutch was affixed with quick-setting plaster (Xanthano Figure 2.
Hearaus-Kulzer, Inc. Armonk, NY) on the mandibular anterior teeth. The Micrometer at end
of eccentric lateral
stem of the clutch was centered in relation to the sagittal plane. The movement. Note
incisal edges of the teeth were covered with utility wax (Utility Wax, displacement visi-
ble at center of
Round Strips; Henry Schein Co, Melville, NY) to facilitate removal of the micrometer.
clutch later. Participants were asked to hold the clutch in the cen-
tered position until the plaster set. The upper part of the axiograph
face-bow was secured tightly to the head using the nasal piece, the
earpieces and the head band. Special graph papers were fixed on
the flags on both sides of the face. The transverse bar was affixed to
the stem of the clutch. The lateral arm was attached to the trans-
verse bar, holding a stylus in the direction of the graph papers
Figure 3. Reading
mounted on the flags. of displacement, in
Procedures for measuring BA using the axiograph required accordance with
white reference line
that the stylus be replaced with a micrometer, which was zeroed (i.e., here it is 0.5 mm).
with its tip passively touching the flag at the origin of the axes
(Figure 1). The participant was subsequently guided into a contra-
TABLE 1
lateral excursion of 3 mm until the tip of the micrometer reached
Conversion Table for Calculation of Bennett Angle
the first arc (Figure 2).At this point, the micrometer was blocked by
a lateral screw. The knob of the micrometer was turned clockwise Range of Displacement (mm) Bennett Angle (degrees)

until it stopped, which enabled measurements to be read to 1/10 of 0.20 -0.40 5°

a mm (Figure 3) and transformed to an angle according to a chart
provided by the manufacturer. Table 1 presents the conversion
chart used for this purpose.
The same maneuvers were repeated for the right and left sides.
Stone casts using an improved dental stone (Silky-Rock; Whip-Mix
Corp, Louisville, KY) were obtained for each participant using irreversible
hydrocolloid impression material (Jeltrate Dentsply Caulk, Milford, DE) with
perforated metallic trays (Coe Stainless Steel Trays; GC America Inc., Alslip, IL).
Maxillary casts were mounted respectively on two different semi-
adjustable articulators with corresponding face-bow transfers: Whip-
Mix #8500 (arcontype) with Whip-Mix Quick Mount (Whip-Mix Corp,
Louisville, KY) or Dentatus AHR (non-arcon type) with Dentatus ear-
bow (Dentatus USA, New York, NY), according to manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.Mandibular casts were mounted using centric interocclusal wax
records (Beauty Pink Wax; Moyco Union Broach-Thompson, Montgomeryville, PA).
Eccentric interocclusal records were made in two sets as
required for lateral right and left excursions. An arithmetical mean
was computed from the two sets for each condylar setting. Lateral
0.50 -0.70 10°
0.80 – 1.00 15°
1.10 – 1.30 20°
1.40 – 1.60 25°
1.70 – 1.90 30°
*Source: Quick-Axis® instruction booklet (Sintec, East Wakefield, NH)
movements were generated by occluding lightly with opposing
canine teeth placed tip to tip. Participants were asked to rehearse
the movements in front of a mirror until they were well performed.
A 5 mm displacement was considered acceptable when a tip-to-tip
relation of anterior teeth was not possible or the eccentric displace-
ment was not sufficient. Two interocclusal recording materials were
used for the recordings: wax (Aluwax Bite and Impression Wax, waxed cloth
sheets; Aluwax Dental Products Co., Grand Rapids, MI) and polyether (Ramitec
by 3M-ESPE AG, Dental Products, St. Paul, MN).
The interocclusal records were used within two hours to avoid
possible wax distortions. The Whip-Mix and Dentatus articulators
NYSDJ • MARCH 2008 35
 TABLE 2
Comparison of Bennett Angles Using Various Measurement Techniques (N = 30 patients)
Inclination (in degrees)
Axiography Whip-mix + Whip-mix + Dentatus + Dentatus+
Wax Polyether Wax Polyether
Right Condyle
Mean (SD) 12.2 (5.6) 13.5 (6.8) 14.6 (7.5) 13.8 (7.2) 15.7 (6.2)
P-value* reference 0.27 0.09 0.20 <0.01
Left Condyle
Mean (SD) 10 (4) 11.6 (7) 12.3 (8) 13.5 (7.2) 15.8 (7.2)
P-value* reference 0.22 0.13 0.02 <0.01
*Probability that difference in means, as measured by one method compared to reference, is significant one. Test used was paired t-test.

were programmed to calculate the condylar inclinations, using the
lateral eccentric interocclusal records. Angle measurements were
subsequently recorded on the worksheet for every participant.
Plan of Analysis
The BAs on each side of the jaw for each participant were measured with
four different articulator/material combinations and tabulated. The
mean values with their corresponding standard deviations (SD) were
computed for each combination alone. Every mean value derived from
each combination was compared separately to the mean reference value
obtained by the axiograph.Differences were tested using the paired t-test
and were considered statistically significant with a P-value ! 0.05.
The aim of the analysis was to identify the combination most
similar to the axiograph (that is, upholding the null hypothesis).
That combination is the one with the least significant mean differ-
ence (that is, the largest possible P-value) from the mean measured
by the axiograph. This judgment criteria was applied across all one-
to-one comparisons presented in this paper.All computations were
conducted with SPSS 11.
Results
Of the 30 volunteers participating in this trial, 40% were women; the
average age was 22.5 years (SD= 2.7 years). The mean right lateral
condylar inclination in the group, as measured by the axiograph,

36 NYSDJ • MARCH 2008

 OA: Magnitude of move-
ment in mm
was 12.2 degrees (SD = 5.6). The smallest departure from that value
OB: Trajectory of nonwork-
by the four alternative methods was obtained with the Whip-Mix ing-side condyle in horizon-
articulator with wax (mean: 13.5 degrees; P=0.27). Whip-Mix per- tal plane
formed less well with polyether (mean: 14.6 degrees, P= 0.09). OC’: Immediate mandibular
The maximum deviation from the axiograph measurement lateral translation

was obtained by the Dentatus articulator with polyether (mean: ": Bennett angle without
immediate mandibular lateral
15.7 degrees; P<0.01). On the left lateral inclination, the mean translation
angle measured on the axiograph was 10 degrees (SD=4). The
#: Bennett angle with
departures from that reference value were similar to those found on immediate mandibular
the right side. Details are presented in Table 2. lateral translation

Figure 4. Path of nonworking-side condyle in horizontal plane during lateral

Discussion excursion movement.
This clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of easier
alternatives to axiographs in everyday clinical practice. Results pre-
sented here suggest that the use of arcon Whip-Mix articulators can
reproduce the patient’s condylar movements in the horizontal plane will be and the greater the immediate mandibular lateral transla-
better than other non-arcon articulators. The use of polyether on tion will result. The BA values calculated from the interocclusal
non-arcon articulators resulted in significantly different measure- record will always be higher, especially in the presence of a lat-
ments than the axiographs. All other combinations had varying erotrusion of the working condyle, as reported to Lundeen et al.9
results depending on the side of the jaw that was measured. The lateral movement of the nonworking-side condyle frequent-
In this study, the mean BA value of 12.2 degrees, as measured by ly has two components: the immediate mandibular lateral transla-
the axiograph on the right condyle, was similar to that found by tion and the progressive mandibular lateral translation.10 The imme-
Isaacson et al.2 In that paper, a gnathograph was used to measure a diate mandibular lateral translation is expressed in a tenth of a mm,
mean BA of 12.3 degrees in 36 participants. Curtis et al.3 evaluated 20 and the progressive mandibular lateral is translated in degrees.
patients using the pantograph and found 10.2 degrees as an average Figure 4, which represents the path of the nonworking-side
BA. The values found in this study and other similar studies are condyle in the horizontal plane during a lateral excursion move-
greater than those found by Beard et al.,4 who evaluated 86 patients
with an electronic pantograph and calculated a mean BA of 5.15
degrees. The same can be said for findings from Theusner et al.,5 who
evaluated 49 patients using a modified SAM axiograph and found a
mean BA of 7.8 degrees in the asymptomatic group.Reasons for these
discrepancies may be associated with the measurement of the BA
after calculation of the immediate mandibular lateral translation, as
will be explained later.
Mean values of BA found by the interocclusal records on both sides
in this study were generally higher than those found with the axiograph,
regardless of the recording material or the type of articulator used.This
agreed with results reported by Price et al.,11 who compared articulator
settings from a computerized pantograph and settings from lateral inte-
rocclusal records and concluded that the BA evaluated from the interoc-
clusal record was higher than that evaluated by the pantograph.
Dos Santos et al.6 observed in 50% of subjects values of BA on
articulators that were greater than the real values. This was also
noted by Stern et al.7 When they evaluated the BA using interocclusal
wax records with and without taking account of the immediate
mandibular lateral translation, the value calculated without the
immediate mandibular lateral translation was always higher than
the BA evaluated with the immediate mandibular lateral translation.
Hobo et al.8 discussed in their study the difference existing in
calculating the progressive mandibular lateral translation on the
condyle level and outside the face with an extraoral tracing device
and concluded that the more laterally the flag was placed outside
the face, the smaller the progressive mandibular lateral translation
NYSDJ • MARCH 2008 37
ment, is used to explain the relationship between the BA and the
immediate mandibular lateral translation. The curve OB is the
path from the centric position to the limit of the movement. The
angle " formed by the sagittal plane (OA) and the line OB repre-
sent the lateral condylar inclination as calculated with a semi-
adjustable articulator without provision of the immediate
mandibular lateral translation. The angle #, formed by the sagittal
plane (O’C) and the line (O’B), represents the lateral condylar incli-
nation after the calculation of the immediate mandibular lateral
translation (OC’). Thus, it becomes obvious that the angle " will
always be greater than the angle #, regardless of the interocclusal
recording material or the type of the straight line, semi-adjustable
articulator used.
The intercondylar distance is adjustable with the Whip-Mix artic-
ulator.This characteristic may explain the better performance in mea-
suring the BA compared to the nonadjustable Dentatus articulator.
The performance of wax is in contradiction with some find-
ings, suggesting the contrary.18 This discrepancy may be due to the
fact that the polyethers might be more accurate in reproducing the
incisal and occlusal forms of the teeth than the plaster casts and
that they remain nonrigid after setting. Both of these factors can
interfere with the placement of the plaster casts into the recording
medium during mounting procedures. This was the point of view
suggested by Balthazar et al.20
The clinical significance of these results may not be as decisive
as the statistical significance since it’s known that errors in evalu-
ating the BA will affect the ridges and groove positions in the work-
ing and nonworking sides and, to a lesser extent, the cusp height.
These variations were found to range between 0.18 mm and 0.37
mm on groove and ridge positions for every 5 degrees of error in
estimating the BA.21
Clinically, the restorations constructed on the Whip-Mix articula-
tor programmed with lateral interocclusal records will most likely need
minor occlusal adjustments in the mouth, especially if the patient has
an acceptable incisal guidance.On the other side,restorations,especial-
ly fixed prosthesis constructed on a Dentatus articulator programmed
with polyether interocclusal records, will present more occlusal prema-
turities and will subsequently need more intraoral adjustments.
Conclusions
The values of the Bennett angle recorded from the axiograph were
lower than the values recorded from eccentric interocclusal records
on both types of articulators. Among all the combinations of vari-
ous articulators and recording materials, the BA values recorded
with the Whip-Mix articulator were the closest to the axiograph on
both sides.
The advantage of the arcon articulators as a valid alternative to
the axiograph has thus been reaffirmed. The poor performance of
the non-arcon articulators with polyether has also been a consis-
tent finding on both sides. The results showed that wax used as an
38 NYSDJ • MARCH 2008
interocclusal recording material was equal to polyether, in contra-
diction with earlier studies. ■
This research was funded by research grant number FMD 30 from Saint-Joseph
University, office of Vice-President for Research, to the first author. It was performed
in memory of our late professor, Dr. Victor O. Lucia, whose remarks to the first author
prompted the need to initiate this study. Queries about this article can be sent to Dr.
Boulos at polobs@inco.com.lb.
REFERENCES
1. Gross M, Nemcovsky C, TabibianY, et al. The effect of three different recording materials
on the reproducibility of condylar guidance registrations in three semi-adjustable artic-
ulators. J Oral Rehabil 1998;25(3):204-208.
2. Isaacson D.A clinical study of the Bennett movement. J Prosthet Dent 1958;8(4):641-649.
3. Curtis DA. A comparison of lateral interocclusal records to pantographic tracings. J
Prosthet Dent 1989;62(1):23-27.
4. Beard CC, Donaldson K, Clayton JA.A comparison of articulator settings to age and sex.
J Prosthet Dent 1986;56(5):551-554.
5. Theusner J, Plash O, Curtis DA, et al. Axiographic tracings of temporomandibular joint
movements. J Prosthet Dent 1993;69(2):109-115.
6. Dos Santos J Jr., Ash MM.A comparison of the equivalence of jaw and articulator move-
ments. J Prosthet Dent 1988;59(1):36-41.
7. Stern N, Hatano Y, Kolling JN, et al. A graphic comparison of mandibular border move-
ments by various articulators. Part I: Methodology. J Prosthet Dent 1988;60(2):194-198.
8. Hobo S, Mochizuki S. A kinematic investigation of mandibular movements using an
electronic measuring system. Part I: Development of the measuring system. J Prosthet
Dent 1983;50(3):368-373.
9. Lundeen TF, Mendoza F. Comparison of two methods for measurements of immediate
Bennett shift. J Prosthet Dent 1984;51(2):243- 246.
10. Lundeen HC, Wirth CG. Condylar movement patterns engraved in plastic blocks. J
Prosthet Dent 1973;30(6): 866-875.
11. Price RB, Bannerman RA.A comparison of articulator settings obtained by an electron-
ic pantograph and lateral interocclusal recordings. J Prosthet Dent 1988;60(2):159-163.
12. Nagy WW, Smithy TJ, Wirth CG. Accuracy of a predetermined transverse horizontal
mandibular axis point. J Prosthet Dent 2002;87(4):387-394.
13. Ozawa S, Tanne K. Diagnostic accuracy of sagittal condylar movement patterns for iden-
tifying internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint. J Orofac Pain 1997;
11(3):222-231.
14. El–Gheriani AS, Winstanley RB. Graphic tracings of condylar paths and measurements
of condylar angles. J Prosthet Dent 1989;61(1):77-87.
15. Shillingburg HT, Hobo S, Whitsett LD, et al. Interocclusal Records: Fundamentals of
Fixed Prosthodontics (3rd Ed.). Chicago: Quintessence 1997:44-45.
16. Gross M, Nemcovsky C, Friedlander LD. Comparative study of three semi-adjustable
articulators. Int J Prosthodont 1990;3(2):135-141.
17. Posselt UP, Franzen G. Registration of the condyle path inclination by intraoral wax
records: variation in three instruments. J Prosthet Dent 1960;10(3):441-454.
18. Fattore L, Malone WF, Sandrik JL, et al. Clinical evaluation of accuracy of interocclusals
recording materials. J Prosthet Dent 1984;51(2):152-7.
19. Utz KH, Müller F, Lückerath W, et al. Accuracy of check-bite registration and centric
condylar position. J Oral Rehabil 2002;29(5):458-466.
20. Balthazar Y, Fattore LD, Hart TO, Malone WFP. Interocclusal records. In Malone WFP,
Koth DL(Ed): Tylman’s Theory and Practice of Fixed Prosthodontics (8th Ed). St Louis:
Ishiyaku EuroAmerica, Inc. 1989:275.
21. Price RB, Kolling JN, Clayton JA. Effects of changes in articulator settings on generated
occlusal tracings. Part I: Condylar inclination and progressive side shift settings. J
Prosthet Dent 1991;65(2):237-243.