Which device helps document centric relation and eccentric movements during occlusal analysis?

• A. Articulating paper and/or a jaw-tracking device
• B. Dental mirror
• C. Bite block
• D. Gingival probe

Answer: (A)

Documenting how the jaws come together and how they move requires tools that both reveal contact points and track movement. Articulating paper marks the specific teeth surfaces that touch when the mouth is closed, giving a map of static occlusal contacts. Jaw-tracking devices capture the actual path of the mandible during movements, detailing eccentric excursions such as lateral and protrusive movements. Using them together provides a complete picture of centric relation contacts and dynamic occlusion.

The other tools don’t provide this information: a dental mirror helps visualize areas but doesn’t record contacts or movements; a bite block stabilizes or guides the bite without documenting occlusal contacts or motions; a gingival probe assesses soft-tissue dimensions, not occlusion.