Dynamic and static recordings of the comfortable zone.

A dynamic and a static method of assessing the comfortable zone by means of a screw jack were compared in 12 subjects. Recorded under dynamic conditions the average width of the comfortable zone was approximately 3.0 mm, and under static conditions approximately 5.0 mm (P less than 0.0001). It is suggested that in the dynamic experiments the larger output from receptors in the chewing system was responsible for the narrower zone, i.e. the more precise assessments of the comfortable zone.