ABC Contact in Dentistry: Tooth-to-Tooth Contact
The contact made with the counter tooth (antagonist contact) is classified in terms of position known as A, B and C contacts, as the name implies:
- A Contact: Contact between the buccal cusps of the upper and lower jaw
- B Contact: Contact between palatal cusps of the upper jaw and the buccal cusps of the lower jaw
- C Contact: Contact between the palatal cusps of the upper and the lingual cusps of the lower jaw
Teeth do not just make contact with each other; there are specific points of contact and these are known as the ABC contacts. Misalignment of these contacts can lead to toothache, tooth decay, parodontal damage, tooth migration and even facial pain. To avoid faulty contacts, crowns are often deliberately fitted with no contact to the counter tooth. This is because it is sometimes difficult to immediately notice when there is no contact after crown implantation but a faulty contact is noticed right away.
ABC tooth contacts
Therefore, tooth replacement should always ensure tooth-to-tooth contact. The easiest way to test this is to bite on a thin piece of paper. If you are able to pull the paper out of your mouth while your teeth are clenched this means there is not sufficient contact between teeth. Any conscientious dentist will test the positioning of the dental prosthetic using a special type of color foil.
Click here to see the video: Tooth Contact Error
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