The stick "bite" is a quick and easy reference for your ceramist. It's not really a bite registration; rather, it is a useful tool for the technician to have a visual reference to the esthetic plane or incisal edge position of the upper centrals.

To record this position, simply dry the lower anteriors and inject rigid bite registration paste from canine to canine. While still soft, take either the stick from a cotton swab or a composite brush handle and roll it into the soft bite registration paste. Level the stick with the horizon or with the patient against a known level horizontal plane.

At Spear we have placed painter's masking tape on a wall using a level so that we know it is level to the horizon. You may also wish to use the horizontal slats from blinds (assuming they were leveled when they were installed).

Do NOT have the patient bite into the paste. The purpose is to give the ceramist a registration that can be placed over the lower anteriors that creates a reference for the upper anterior incisal edges.

The process takes about 60 seconds and your technician will love you for it.

Do you enjoy learning online? You can find more information highlighting different techniques, treatment planning, esthetics and occlusion within Spear Digital Suite.


Post a Comment

Comments

Commenter's Profile Image Bill
March 16th, 2013
Interesting little trick there. Thank you for the post. I do have a question, however. You stress not to bite into the paste, yet in the photos it appears as if the patient has bitten into the paste. Can you please clarify the part about not biting into the paste please? Thanks! ~Bill
Commenter's Profile Image Steve
March 19th, 2013
I was wondering the same thing, why the strong emphasis on not biting. Also, are you leveling to the horizon, or trying to go parallel to the patients eyeballs? I don't really get "with the horizon/horizontal"... if the patients head is cock-eyed 5-10% either skeletally or positionally and you make your stick parallel with the horizon, then the stick wouldn't be accurate, would it? Or is that the purpose of the photo, so the technician can see the plane relative to the patients face? Thanks! Steve
Commenter's Profile Image Steve
March 19th, 2013
Notice the venetian blinds behind the patient, the stick is simply a reference to the horizontal or the horizon. If the case is mounted with an accurate facebow that is also leveled to the horizon then the upper member of the articulator is parallel to the horizion, the stick simply gives your lab a reference that is closer to the teeth. You may have to physically move the patient's head if they have a natural head tilt so that they are as straight as possible.
Commenter's Profile Image Stephen
March 20th, 2013
Is the goal here to get the insical plane parallel to the horizon, irregardless of the inter pupillary line? Does the picture have to be sent to the lab also to show them what you are trying to communicate?
Commenter's Profile Image John Bonghi
March 20th, 2013
I would also appreciate why not to bite into the registration paste. How does the patient stay open without moving? Thanks. John
Commenter's Profile Image Steve
March 20th, 2013
If the patient bites into the paste two things can happen, the stick can be dislodged because of overbite and/or the thickness of the "bite" is diminished so that the lingual portion dislodges and then the registration is difficult to hold in place on the models. If you use a fast setting reg paste the patient only has to hold still for 60 seconds
Commenter's Profile Image Bill
March 21st, 2013
Steve (post 6). I see what you are saying, but it looks like she is biting into the paste in the photos. Perhaps you can restate the process - there seems to be some confusion - and I'd like to further understand this easy & useful little tip. Thanks, Bill
Commenter's Profile Image Steve
March 29th, 2013
Hi Bill OK, here goes. The technique is pretty straightforward. With the patient standing, preferably in front of LEVEL venetian blinds or lines of masking tape on a wall that were placed there with a level, squirt bite registration paste onto the lower anterior teeth so there is at least 3mm thickness of material over the lower anteriors. Using something like a bend-a-brush with the brush tip removed, roll the brush handle into the bite paste so that it is BELOW the incisal edges by at least 2-3mm and the material covers the part of the handle with which it is contact. Moving quickly, align with brush handle with the tape on the wall or slats of the venetian blinds so that the brush handle is parallel. Ask the patient to close slightly but to NOT bite down all the way. It is best to use a quick setting material so the brush handle doesn't slump or move and the patient doesn't have to hold still for too long.