National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

In which type of registration is the centric relationship of the upper and lower arches determined?

1. Bite Registration

2. Vertical Registration

3. Facebow Registration

4. Occlusal Registration

The correct answer is: Bite Registration

Bite registration is the correct choice because it specifically involves capturing the relationship between the upper and lower dental arches in a closed jaw position. This process allows for the determination of the centric occlusion or bite relationship, which is essential for various dental procedures, including the fabrication of dental prosthetics like crowns and dentures. In bite registration, the patient bites down on a registration material that captures the occlusal surface of the teeth and the inter-arch relationship when the bite is in a neutral position, thus accurately recording how the upper and lower arches come together. Vertical registration and occlusal registration, while also pertinent in the context of dental work, focus more on the vertical dimension of occlusion and the arrangement of occlusal surfaces, respectively, rather than directly determining the relationship between the arches in a closed position. Facebow registration is used to record how the maxillary arch relates to the temporomandibular joint, but it does not directly capture centric occlusion.