The Journal of prosthetic dentistry
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Anterior disk displacement without reduction, called "closed locking," is a serious stage of the internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint. Many types of conservative and surgical treatments have been applied to this problem. ⋯ The voluntary maximal mouth opening of 14 of 17 patients (82%) who were younger than 30 years was improved to more than 40 mm after the application of the manipulation technique. Contrariwise, the voluntary maximal mouth opening of only 5 of 18 patients (28%) who were older than 30 years was improved to more than 40 mm.
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A plaster trap is a necessity for any dental laboratory. This article describes a technique for making an inexpensive plaster trap from a 3 1/2 gallon bucket and two trap adaptors. ⋯ Making a plaster trap has two advantages. First, it can be made for a fraction of the cost of those purchased commercially and second, the plaster trap is easily cleaned by replacing the bucket without remaking the lid portion.