The mandibular lever

David J. Seitlin, D.D.S.*

Dade County Dental Rcwarch C,‘linic, Miami, Fla.

D ental articulation
function,
is the relationship
and its study demands a thorough
of adjacent
knowledge
and opposing teeth during
of the roles of the various
parts of the chewing apparatus and their integration into the chewing act.
In order to understand how teeth articulate, it is important to know the me-
chanics of jaw movement in function. This articlc will discuss the mandible as a
lever and apply lever principles to the normal and abnormal physiology of the
dental apparatus.

THE MANDIBLE AS A CLASS Ill LEVER

Combined bone and muscle action during mastication uses leverage to obtain
desired results. As the mandible functions against a stationary skull, the movable
jaw, joint assembly. involved muscles of mastication, and teeth represent the various
parts of a lever, in the order stated, as rod, fulcrum, force, and load (Fig. 1). By
definition as used here: A rod is a rigid body capable of rotating about a point or
axis; a fulcrum is the support or fixed point around which the rod rotates; a force
is the power exerted to rotate the rod; and a load is the resistance against which
the total effort of the force is being exerted.
The mandible functions as a Class III lever1 with the force kclosing muscles of
mastication) placed between the fulcrum (temporomandibular joint) and the load
(teeth). In a Class ITI lever with a given rod2 force, load, and fulcrum point, and
with all factors fixed except load position, the force is constant, but its influence
on the load and the fulcrum is inversely related to its distance between them (Fig.
2). Applied practically, the greater the span between the load-determining teeth
and the muscle force, the less the effect of the force on the involved teeth and the
iuore the muscles accentuate the bracing of the condyle assembly against the skull.

LOAD-DETERMINING TEETH
Load-determining teeth arc those pairs of opposing teeth which are the prime
load recipients of the muscle force. In order to keep within the stress limits of the

*Chairman, Oral Diagnosis Section

342
Volume 19 The mandibular lever 343
Number 4

F W L
Fig. 1. The mandible functions as a Class III lever. It is shown here with teeth in centric
occlusion; the mandible (RI), condyle assembly (Fr ) , closing muscles of mastication (WI):
and teeth (Lr ) represent in order, a rod (R), fulcrum (F) , force ( W) , and load (L)

F w R L* L

Fig. 2. In a Class III lever with a given rod (R), force (W), load (t), and fulcrum point
(F), and all factors fixed except the load position, the nearer .the load is placed (0) to the
force, the greater the influence of the force on the load. The greater the distance between
force and load the greater the influence of the force on the fulcrum.

tooth-supporting tissues, and because of the importance of emphasizing the tem-

poromandibular joint as the fulcrum, the more mesially placed the load, the more
likely it is that the supporting tissues will tolerate the muscle force. The cuspids
are ideally placed to be dental load determinants, but teeth distal to the cuspids
may participate if the cuspids’ role is maintained.

CENTRIC OCCLUSION
In centric occlusion (Fig. 1) , all opposing teeth contact with no disproportionate
or displacing pressures. The tooth load is anterior to the force of the closing muscles
of mastication. The condyles are simultaneously seated in their respective fossae,
their most efficient bracing position, allowing both joint assemblies to act as a single
fulcrum.
344 S&in .I. Pros. Dent.
April, 1968

Fig. 3. In lateral excursions, the working-side rondyle assembly (F’) is the fulcrum, the
balancing-side muscles ( W*) are the force. and the working-side cuspid ( L1) is the prime
load determinant.

LATERAL EXCURSIONS
In lateral excursions (Fig. 3)) the load is on the working side, and the cuspid
is the prime load determinant. The closing muscles seat the condyle in its fossa (the
condylar position in which the joint assembly best serves as a fulcrum). The fact that
anteriorly positioned teeth control tht load illustrates that the mandible performs as
a Class III lever. Also: these teeth and their supporting tissues are least likely to be
damaged. This is true of both cusl’id-l)r”t’ct(:d and fully balanced occlusions.
The muscle action on the working side is isometric, emphasizing the seated con-
dyle assembly as the fulcrum. The balancing-side muscles are isotonic and are the
lever force. The balancing-side condyle, gliding on the fossal incline, is not in a
bracing position to act as a fulcrum.
On the working side, the condylc is seated in its fossa, but because of the Bcn-
nctt movement, it is also displaced laterally. As the mandible moves toward centric
relation in function, this condyle travels medially. This condyle assembly is still the
fulcrum during its medial shift. sincr its stability is in relation to the other parts of
the moving mandible.

STRAIGHT PROTRUSIVE POSITION

When teeth occlude in the straight protrusive position, tht,re is an interchange
bctwven the functions of the condylcs and the teeth involved in anterior guidance.
as they are used as lcvc~ components. Roth thr condyles and the teeth arc
functioning against distal inclines: the condyles arc against the posteriorly inclined
medial surface of the glenoid fossa, while the teeth contact the lingual surfaces of
the upper incisors. ‘I‘ho muscles are forcing them back as they move along these
Volume 19 The mandibular lever 345
Number 4

Fig. 4. In a straight protrusive position, both condyles and the lower anterior teeth are poised
on distal inclines, with the roles of load and fulcrum interchanging between them depending
upon which of the two positions offers the greater resistance (fulcrum) and which offers the
lesser resistance (load) to the force at any given instant.

inclines (Fig. 4). The load is shifted alternately, depending on the resistance factors
of each relative to the other. The component offering the greater resistance to the
muscle force functions as the fulcrum, as of that instant, while the part offering
the lesser resistance is the load. If the previous statement regarding Class III levers
is applicable, the condylar load is less resistant to the muscle force than the tooth
load because the condyles are closer to the force than the anterior teeth. Until this
is reversed and the condyles are the more stable against the skull, the teeth will
function as the fulcrum. When the condyles are seated in their fossae, the mandible
is in centric closure, and the joint assemblies become the fulcrum.

LATERAL PROTRUSIVE POSITION AND THE CHEWING STROKE

In the lateral protrusive position, both condyles are balanced on their respec-
tive eminentia, as in a straight protrusive position, and in addition, the mandible has
shifted laterally. Tooth contact (load: is unilateral, on the side toward which the
shift has taken place. The lever components relate similarly as in the straight protru-
sive position, that is, the contacting teeth and the joint assemblies interchange their
functions as load and fulcrum, depending on their relative resistance to the muscle
force.
The mandible is in a lateral protrusive position at the start of the chewing
stroke.2 From this position, the working-side condyle translates back and up the slope
of the eminentia, into the glenoid fossa. Concurrently, the balancing-side condyle,
held forward on its eminentia by the external pterygoid muscle, represents the ful-
crum, while the working-side muscles are the force and the working-side teeth are
the load. When the working-side condyle is seated and braced in its fossa, the man-
dible is in a lateral cscursi\~c position! ad the lever ccunponents rearrange thcm-
WIVCS. The working-sick condylf: asscrhly now becomes the fulcrum, while thtx
balancing-side muscles becolne the force. and thr balancing-side condylc glides alone!
the fossal incline to its scat ill the f‘ossa: the \vorking-side teeth remain the load.
According to Granger.” tht: chc\\ing stroke does not end with both condyles seated
in their centric rc\lation position. ‘1’0 do so would mean that there is a sudden start
and stop to tlic difw?tiy, r strok. Rathc~r. as the mandible arrivrs at centric relation
from a lateral ctxcursion. thcl balancing-sitl<s condylc mo\~s laterally into its Iknnctt
path while tllf. \vorking-side cfmf~yle ,qlitles dowri the slopt2 of the, c.minentia as it
r1lovf.3 along its Ix~lanciliq path. ‘I’h(* balancing-side condyltt assrmbly assumes a
fulcra1 role while the* \~orkirlp-side ~nuscles kwconw th t”ot~~~.
‘I’lir entire prof~fx ol riiastication lx~comcs a series of kxer arrangements ant1
I‘carran~~:erIif~nts. and wlicn all cfmipfm~w~s func.tifxi harrnoriiously, the manner in
which this is dolls, w~ithout tralnllatizin~ the invol\.cd tissurs attests to the complesit)
of tlic clifv ill9 stl~okt~. :4lso. ircquf~nt fxcurrfmcf~ of functional breakdown in joints,
teeth. and suppctrtillq tkr1r.s during tl\xiunction imprcxsses one with the deliracy of
this nicchanisrn.

REST POSITION
In rest position. thr mandible “sags” bodily: the condyles are not held against
the undcrsurfacc~ of their rqective fossae: nor do the teeth contact their opponents.
Quitv often. in closing from rest position to centric occlusion. the muscles do not seat
the. cordylr~s Imtil after the tcrth contact, nndcr \vhich circumstance the teeth will
momtJntarilp bclcornc, the fulcrum and the joint asscmblics (or posterior part of the
mandiblr ‘! act as tht: load. When the condyles are scated and stabilized, the parts
assume a mow normal rolr : the joint assemblies become the fulcrum and thr teeth
l~f~orn~ th load.

OCCLUSAL DISHARMONIES
When mastication is impaired because of a dysfunctional rrlationship between
rr~~~les. teeth. and temporornandibular joint, the levrr components will be rear-
ranged with rcyar,cl to each other. Any rc‘sistance to unhampered centric or cc-
crntric- mandibular rriovcnient, as a rfdt of an occlusal interference. will affect thfa
lever until that resistanccl is overcomt~.
Occlusal interferences may bc classified as either deflective or impeding, and
tlkcy differ in their influence on the paths of movement of the rnandible in the par-
ticular cscursioIl in which they arc rffcctivti. They also differ in their role as lever
components.

DEFLECTIVE OCCLUSAL CONTACT

A dt~fkctivc~ occlusal contact will infiuence the condylar fulcrum from its normal
path, because thr: deflection. which is now determining the cuspal interdigitation
(intercuspation) : is out of harmony with the arcs of movement of the mandible. This
is true of both centric and eccentric closures. l’hc muscles want to relate the man-
dible against thtx skull, but the point at which it is being steadied is not definite. The
fulcrum of the mandibular levc,r must 1x: stabilized at one of two places; in the con-
Volume 19 7’tie mandibular lever 347
Number 4

Fig. 5. If the mandible is stable in its condyle seat, the load (I>‘) is sustained by the inter-
fering teeth on their involved inclines (area enclosed in circle) and resolved in a lateral
direction against the supporting bone.

dylar region, as intended, or in the sulci of the “prematurely” contacting teeth. The
more resistant of these points will become the fulcrum while, the other becomes the
load. When these observations are applied practically, it is obvious that, if the man-
dible is stable in its condyle seat, the load is sustained by the interfering teeth on
inclines (rather than in the sulci) and resolved in a lateral direction against sup-
porting bone (Fig. 5). Consequently, the occlusal surfaces of the involved teeth and
their bony support are subject to deterioration. If the interfering teeth are firm in
their sockets, the occlusal deflection prevents the condyle from functioning normally,
through the paths of motion in eccentric movements or in its seat in centric closure.
The stable interference in this situation is the fulcrum, and the condyle is the load
(Fig. 6).

IMPEDING INTERFERENCE
An impeding interference (interceptive occlusal contact) does not influence the
arc of mandibular movement; rather, the offending cusp acts as a high contact
within the normal articulating pattern of the opposing dental arches (Fig. 7). In
contrast to the deflecting interference, the condyle assembly is definitely the fulcrum.
The interference controls the load placement and repositions it nearer the muscle
force, making the force more efficient and so more likely to upset the homeostasis of
the offending tooth and its soft tissue support. Since the fulcra1 role of the condylc
assembly is not challenged, and since the intercuspation of the teeth does not prevent
the condyle from unhampered movement, it would seem that the temporoman-
dibular joint would not be involved and would remain free from the effects of any
impeding interference.
348 Seith J. 1’10s. Dent.
April, 1968

Fig. 6. If the deflection prevents the condyle from being seated, the deflection (P) becomes
the fulcrum and the unseated condyle (U) becomes the load.

Fig. 7. An impeding interference (D) does not prevent the condylc from being seated and
functioning in normal paths. The interference becomes the prime dental load determinant when
placed nearer to and under greater influence of the muscle force.
 The mandibular lever 349

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The purpose of this article is to create an awareness of the mechanical aspects
of chewing by pointing out the resemblance to the parts of a simple lever of the
basic components of the masticatory apparatus (mandible, temporomandibular joints,
closing muscles of mastication, and teeth). Practical application can be made in
relating these anatomic parts as lever components in a manner of treatment that
will most effectively place the occlusal surfaces of the teeth in a harmonious relation-
ship with the involved muscles and temporomandibular joints. This is done in order
to effect unhindered movement of the condyles within their fossae and, at the same
time, to minimize the functional stress on the parts themselves. This is essentially the
effort of good dental treatment procedures.

References
1. McCollum, B. B., and Stuart, C. E.: A Research Report, South Pasadena, 1955, Scientific
Press, p. 28.
2. Granger, E. R.: Centric Relation, J. PROS. DEXT. 2: 160-171, 1952.
3. Granger, E. R.: Practical Procedures in Oral Rehabilitation, Philadelphia, 1962, J. B.
Lippincott Company, p. 4.

2525 S.W. ~RD AVE.

MIAMI, FLA. 33129