Camila Venegas & Ramón Fuentes

Summary

The search for an ideal occlusion is one of the main objectives of rehabilitation treatments. For this to be fulfilled, some characteristics need to be present, based on this, the concept of "centric triad" has been constituted, which is defined as the coincidence between the physiological centric relation (CR), muscular contact position (MCP) and maximum intercuspal position (MIP), thus existing an optimal morphofunctional balance of the different components of the stomatognathic system. In this way, the need arises to analyze the concepts that involve the relationship between the different mandibular positions, within these concepts we find the "centric area", which due to its characteristics, it is attributed relevance and clinical utility when its application is understood. The objective of this study was to analyze the concept of centric area, update the associated occlusal concepts and propose new methodologies for its evaluation. Sometimes there are occlusal interferences that prevent the jaw from continuing its usual path to reach a certain position, these interferences are known as premature contacts, when they exist, the jaw naturally deviates towards a position of accommodation. Centric slide is defined as the movement of the mandible when it is in a retruded contact position unforced, that is, the contact position that occurs when the mandible closes in CR, until reaching MIP, this sliding occurs due to in the presence of premature contacts, when there are no premature contacts, this position will coincide with PMI. The centric area is defined as the slippage of the mandible between the retruded ligamentous position (RLP) and MIP. Ideally, the PMI occurs when the condyles are in CR and coincides with the MCP, there should always be a centric area, since physiologically no joint will naturally adopt an extreme position like PRL.

KEY WORDS: Centric área; centric slide; retruded contact position; retruded ligamentous position.

How to cite this article

VENEGAS, C. & FUENTES, R. Central area, review of the concept. A Narrative Review. Int. J. Odontostomat., 17(2):124-129, 2023.