Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the effects of clutch adaptation on the mandibular rotational torque movement in normal people. 69 dental students were selected for the study. Their mean age were 23.6 years and they did not present any signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders. $BioEGN^{(R)}$ with $Rotate^{(R)}$ program was used to observe and record the amount of mandibular rotational torque on protrusion, on right excursion, on left excursion, and on comfortable wide opening movement. The natural tooth contact movement and the movement with clutch were performed in the above four each mandibular movement. Clutch was made by the method used in $Pantronic^{(R)}$ clutch fabrication. Distance of slant frontal which was translatory trajectory in frontal plane and degree of rotational torque in horizontal and in frontal plane were recorded. The data obtained were processed with SPSSWIN program and the results were as follows : 1. Distance of slant frontal in each mandibular movement generally increased with clutch. 2. Degree of rotational torque in horizontal and in frontal plane on protrusion and on lateral excursions did not increase with clutch, but the degree on wide opening increased with clutch. 3. Degree of rotational torque in horizontal plane on protrusion and on lateral excursions did not show any difference between right and left side, but the degree in frontal plane on protrusion and on lateral excursions showed significant difference between right and left side. 4. Total amount of rotational torque from right and left sides on protrusion and lateral excursions were not increased with clutch, but the degree on wide opening movement was increased with clutch. And in this case, degree in horizontal plane was larger than that in frontal plane. 5. Correlation between total amount of rotational torque in horizontal plane and that in frontal plane were highly significant on protrusion and on lateral excursions with or without clutch, but the significant correlation on wide opening without clutch became not significant with clutch.