MANDIBULAR MOVEMENTS
AND THEIR RELATION TO
COMPLETE DENTURE
CONSTRUCTION
Basic mandibular movements:
Two basic movements are
recognized in the joint
A-Rotation in lower compartment
B-Translation in upper compartment
A- Rotation (Hinge) movement:
This movement takes place in the lower compartment of the
joint between the head of the condyle and the under surface of
the disc (Steady in its place).
The condylar head of the mandible rotates on the under
surface of the disc.
Such rotational movement can occur in several axes
Terminal hinge axis:
It is an imaginary line between the
mandibular condyles around which the
mandible rotates during the early opening
and late closing
The hinge axis can be located clinically by the
kinematic face bow (exact method) or through the
canthus-tragus line (arbitrary method).
It is an imaginary line around which the
condyles rotate during early opening and
late closing.
Mandibular Axes And
Planes Of Mandibular
.Movements
1- Terminal hinge axis or transverse axis: It is an imaginary line around which
the mandible rotates within the sagittal plane (during early opening and late
closing movement).
2- Sagittal axis of the mandible: It is an imaginary anteroposterior line
around which the mandible may rotate within the frontal plane.
3- Vertical or frontal axis of the mandible: It is an imaginary line around
which the mandible may rotate through the horizontal plane.
B- Translation movement:
This movement takes place in the upper
compartment between condylar head and the
disc as one unit, and the glenoid fossa
These two types of movements (rotation
and translation) take place either solely
or in combination.
B-Translation or gliding
When it occurs: protrusive ,right lateral, left lateral
movement & opening beyond the terminal hinge
position
”max opening”.
Where it occurs:
in upper compartment of T.MJ
Limiting factors of mandibular movements
CNS and Muscles.
Teeth.
TMJ.
Border and intra-border movements
Border movements:
These are movements occurring following
the boundaries movement space.
They are repeatable positions.
Intra-border movements:
These are movements occurring within the
space.
They are non-repeatable positions
Possible mandibular movement
1) Opening and closing movement
2) Forward movement (Protrusive
movements) and Backward movement
(Retrusive movement)
3) Lateral (Right and left) movements
1) Opening and closing movement
a) Pure Terminal hinge movement
b) Forward translation
c) Maximal opening
d) habitual intra-border movement
(combination)
Possible mandibular movement
1) Opening and closing:
Opening movement of the mandible from the habitual intercuspal position to
maximum opening of the jaws can be divided according to movements of
the condyles into:
a) Pure Terminal hinge movement :
In the first 15-20 mm (10-13 degrees) of opening
movements, pure rotation occurs in the lower
compartment, the rotation occurs around the transverse
hinge axis with no apparent condylar translation.
b) Translatory Opening movement
On further opening, rotation and translation occur in the upper
compartment.
It is the opening that occurs beyond the terminal hinge
opening, to the maximum opening position. The condyles
translate downward and forward their most posterior position
on the condyles in the upper compartment of the TMJ
Habitual intra-border Opening:
This movement is carried out inside the envelope of motion. It
is the movement path of the incisal point from the intercuspal
position till the maximal opening position.
It consists of a combination of rotation and translation.
Posselt described a curve drawn by the mandible
during such movement, and named it “Posselt's
envelope of motion
It should be noted that the outer borders of
such envelope of motion, are known as
"border movements", and the inner area of
this envelope is known as "intraborder
movements" .
Border movements are important in recording
mandibular movements as they are recordable and
reproducible.
Posselt’s Envelope of Motion
2- Anteroposterior movements
A-Protrusive movements:
During protrusion the condyle together with the
articular disc as one unit move downwards and
forwards along the glenoid fossa and the articular
eminence.
The angle of glide varies from patient to patient
The path travelled by the condyles in the TMJ during
protrusive movement is termed the horizontal
condylar path or the sagittal condylar path
It should be noted that protrusion in
dentulous patients is mainly dictated by the
sliding of incisal edges of mandibular
anterior teeth on the palatal concavities of
maxillary anterior teeth .
While in edentulous cases such movement
is dictated by the sliding of the condyle on
the posterior wall of the eminence.
criteria and How to
record it:
*protrusive movement
condyle translates in
sagittal plane (horizontal
plane) along articular
eminence following a
path called
sagittal condylar path
once recorded protrusive
translation movement
can be recorded .
Condylar path angle:
It is the Angle between the condylar path and
the horizontal plane, it includes:
1- condylar path
2-horizontal plane
3- condylar path angle
Condylar guidance:
The simulation of the condylar path on the
articulator
Adjustment of the horizontal condylar
path angle
Christensen’s Phenomena
Christensen Phenomenon:
When the mandible moves to an edge to edge
position, separation occurs distally between the
teeth or occlusal rims.
Protrusive record being taken with pink baseplate
wax. The mandible is brought forward in a straight
protrusive direction about 4-6 mm in distance, and
the patient closes on the softened wax.
The record is then brought to the articulator, where it
is used to set the condylar inclination.
And then incisal inclination can be set by the dentist
according to esthetics and phonetics requirements.
The occlusion rims are reestablished and
checked for 3 mm. Clearance in protrusive
excursions. The protrusive relationship
determines the angle of horizontal condylar path
3- Retrusive movement
The retrusive movement of the
mandible takes place by similar
movement as the protrusive one but in
the reverse direction i.e. upward and
backward along the same inclinations.
In the antero-posterior dimension
three positions of the mandible
can be defined
A-Ligamentous position (retruded mandibular
position: this is the extreme position to which
the mandible can be displaced posteriorly
B-Muscular position (habitual position) :
guided by muscles . It is 1mm in front of
ligamentous position. In the majority of
patients with cusp teeth, the muscular
position is coincident with the tooth position
C-Tooth position
Only in a few persons does(Intercuspal position):
the ligamentous position
Dictated by tooth
coincide with occlusion ofinteeth.
position, Irrespective
about 90% of
of adults the
tooth position is approximately 1 mm anterior to
ligamentous position
.the position of the condyles
The relation of the mandible to the maxillae when
the condyles are in the most retruded unstrained
position in the glenoid fossae, from which lateral
movements can be made at any given degree of
jaw separation.
A-centric and hinge position
B-protrusion and translation position
The muscles responsible
for the forward
movement of the
mandible are the lateral
pterygoid muscles acting
jointly
1-Retruded contact position
2- Habitual intercuspasal
position
3-Edge to edge occlusion
4- Anterior biting to a
4- Lateral (Right and left) movements:
The side towards which the mandible
moves is called the working side or the
bolus side, while the opposite side is
called the non- working, non-bolus or
the balancing side.
lateral
movement either
RT or left:
condyle translate in
lateral plane along
lateral inclines of
condylar fossa
following a path
called lateral
condylar path
once recorded
lateral translation
movement can be
recorded.
a. Working condyle movement (laterotrusion)
The condyle rotates mainly around the
vertical axis and at the end of the movement
a lateral bodily shift occurs which is known
as Bennett side shift or Bennett's movement.
Lateral condylar path is the path
traveled by the condyles in the
temporomandibular joint when the
b. Balancing condyle movement (mediotrusive)
The balancing condyle moves forwards,
downwards and inwards (medially).
Lateral movement of the mandible is the result of
contraction of one lateral pterygoid muscle. When
the lateral pterygoid muscle of one side contracts
the mandible moves to the opposite side.
Why do we need to know mandibular
movements?
The complete denture prosthesis is
constructed to function in the dynamic
conditions of the oral cavity. It is relevant to
understand and record such movements to
accomplish harmony between the denture
and mandibular movements.
Condylar path
It is the path traveled by the condyles in the
temporomandibular joint during various
mandibular movements.
Saggital (horizontal) condylar path: The path taken
by the condyle during protrusion and retrusion
Lateral condylar path: The path taken by the
condyle during lateral movement
Lateral condylar path is the path
traveled by the condyles in the
temporomandibular joint when the
The condylar path inclinations vary in different
individuals and from side to side in the same
individual. The condylar path inclination depends
upon:
The shape of the glenoid fossa.
Thickness of the articular disc.
Relation of the condyle to the disc during
movement.
The extent of mandibular movement.
Thank
you
