Now that you have fabricated the platform, the next step is to capture the record with the patient. You will need a heat source and a blue Delar wax Pencil.

The first step is to heat the sides of the Master Wax Platform so they are tempered. Take the wax to the patient’s mouth and place it over the maxillary teeth. The anterior edge of the wax should be at the embrasure between the canine and the lateral. Bend the corners over the canines to help with retention. Press the wax against the teeth and ask the patient to close gently into the wax. Cool the wax with your air water syringe, have the patient open, and continue to cool the platform before removing from the mouth.

Using blue delar wax created a small bead where the lower canines have left an impression. Reseat the platform over the maxillary teeth and using bimanual guidance bring the lower canine cusp tips up until they just touch the blue wax. Have your assistant cool the wax with air. After removing the platform from the mouth add Delar wax where the second molars have left a cusp imprint. Then return the platform to the mouth and using bimanual guidance arc the patient into the wax so the lower molar cusp touches, then cool with air.

Your record should now be dropped into cool water. A disposable plastic container from the grocery works great. Write the patients name on it with sharpie marker and add it to their lab pan.

Analyzing a patient’s occlusion is key to providing optimal care. There are multiple ways to take a centric relation bite record, but one of the classics at Pankey has to be utilizing master wax. Easily mounting models in the laboratory is one of the main advantages of this method.

Although a slightly more challenging technique from a chairside perspective, it can still be accomplished with ease. Here is where to start:

Intro to the Master Wax Centric Relation Bite Record

Begin by gathering your necessary tools and materials. Start with a red master wax that looks just like baseplate wax from a standpoint of the size of the wax sheets, although it is different because it’s both softer and tackier. You will also need a blue wax pencil, scissors to cut the wax, a heat source such as an alcohol torch, and a way to light the heat source.

Take a single sheet of wax and temper it in the middle with the intention of being able to bend it in half. Once it is thoroughly tempered, bend it in half without cracking or breaking the wax. Make sure the bend is fairly crisp. After the wax has cooled a little bit, open it back up and cut it in half. Out of every sheet of wax, you should be able to generate two platforms for wax records.

Once again temper the wax halfway in the middle with the heat source. Tempering refers to heating to flexibility but not dripping. Again, fold the wax in half so you have a double thickness sheet. Then, cut the wax into the shape of the platform …

Look for the second part in this series about our master wax technique coming soon. And did you get a chance to read this Pankey Gram blog on enjoying Miami while you visit Pankey? Let us know what you think!

Taking a centric relation record with a Pankey Bite Stop can be simple and straightforward. Gather your tools and use these five steps to achieve success:

Five Steps of Taking a Centric Relation Record

1. Try-In: Evaluate the patient’s lower incisal plane for evenness. Try the Pankey Bite Stop on the upper teeth and have the patient close. Move the stop left or right to get an even contact between the most level area of the lower incisal edges.  

2. Preparing the Bite Stop: Squirt Futar-D Polyvinylsiloxane bite registration (regular set) into the underside of the Pankey Bite Stop. Reposition it onto the maxillary anterior teeth as done in step 1. Again, the goal is to position it in such a way as to capture two lower incisal edges that are as level as possible. They should also touch the upper occlusal surface of the record as parallel to each other as possible.   

Have the patient close to touch the bite stop and hold it until the Futar-D registration material is set firm (at least 45 seconds). As it is setting, you can have the patient quickly open once to wipe any excess registration material that has come out around the sides. This is so it does NOT go down past the incisal plane of the bite stop or catch any incisor on a protrusive movement. Have the patient close back down on the record lightly and hold until the registration material sets up.

3. Full Record: Now that the anterior Pankey Bite Stop is stable, in a very calm tone instruct the patient to slide their lower jaw forward, backward, and squeeze. Every 15 seconds, repeat this process. I will often go check on a hygiene patient and leave them to continue this movement as we are deprogramming muscles. 

Next, insert accufilm articulation paper (red side up) and have the patient slide forward and backward. Flip the articulation paper over and instruct the patient to bite in the very back position with the black side up. These posterior occlusal marks will be your reference points to check as you verify your record in the mouth.   

Dry the maxillary teeth with a 2×2 gauze. Squirt new Futar-D regular set polyvinylsiloxane material starting with the posterior teeth on both sides. The goal is to cover both the lingual and buccal cusps. This registers the lower buccal and lingual cusps for an accurate, stable record.

4. Trimming the Record: Beforehand, go to Home Depot/Lowes. Get a 1.5 inch drum sander and some fine sandpaper that fits on the drum. The sander will fit in your quick change lathe for gross trimming of the record. After gross trimming, go back with your E cutter lab carbide burs and fine-tune trim the record so only flat planes are left. There should be no grooves or sharp areas. 

5. Mounting Your Models: Once the record is properly trimmed and your accurate diagnostic models are properly groomed, place the records on the models. The records should sit passively and not lift off. If they do lift off the stone, go back and look for discrepancies in the record and the models. You are now ready to mount the models on a semi-adjustable articulator.

Pankey Bite Stops are available at the L.D.Pankey Resource center. Call 1-800-4-Pankey and ask for Mark Collis.