Vertical Dimension of the Face

Abstract

The determination of the occlusal vertical dimension for an edentulous patient is not an exact process. The most accurate methods at this writing involve the use of pre-extraction records. The techniques vary from selected measurements between facial landmarks to contour profile records. If no pre-extraction records exist, a number of guides are helpful, but “clinical judgment” is still vitally needed. Three techniques for determining the vertical dimension of occlusion have been reviewed. Each utilizes a different physiologic characteristic of skeletal muscle. No one method should be accepted as the sole source of information for the determination of an acceptable occlusal face height. At least two and preferably three or more comparisons should be made before the final record is accepted.