Changes in occlusion and condylar positioning during retention with a gnathologic positioner.

To investigate whether orthodontic cases can fulfil gnathologic requirement, models of 10 adolescent patients (of the Department of Orthodontics at the University Dental Clinic, Graz) were mounted in an articulator at band removal and 2, 4 and 12 weeks and one year later. During this year the patients wore a gnathologic positioner. Using a condymeter, discrepancies between RCP and ICP in three spatial planes were measured and the spatial diagonal computed. Statistical analysis showed a clear reduction of the means of slide in centric during continuous wearing of the positioner, after 3 months, RCP and ICP being almost identical. After a further 7 months, during which the positioner was worn only at night, the amount of slide increased again slightly. The increase of the spatial diagonal was due to an increase of the sagittal and vertical slides whereas the lateral slide remained constant.