The centric position is the physiological position where the mandibular head (condyle) is positioned at its highest and most anterior position within the cranial joint fossa, completely independent of tooth contact, and where the joint ligaments are in their most relaxed and stress-free position. When a prosthesis is made for a completely edentulous patient, the patient’s previous bite habits are completely gone, and the jaw muscles move uncontrollably. If the dentist records the prosthesis impression and tooth arrangement based on an incorrect position where the patient is randomly closing their jaw at that moment, the prosthesis forces the temporomandibular joint to remain in a constantly compressed and tense angle. This situation drastically increases the damage within the joint in patients with TMJ disorders; from the moment the prosthesis is fitted, the patient begins to experience severe pain in front of the ear, jaw locking, and inability to keep the prosthesis in their mouth. Therefore, the bite record must be locked in the centric position.
