Variability of passively recorded centric relation.

1. Centric relation in patients without clinical signs or symptoms of mandibular dysfunction is a small range of mandibular positions. 2. The average range of shift was 0.302 mm mediolaterally and 0.278 mm anteroposteriorly for all five subjects. 3. There is no significant difference between the ranges of mandibular positions recorded using chin-point guidance, chin-point guidance with ramus support, or bimanual manipulation. 4. This technique of comparing mandibular positions dictated by centric relation records is sufficiently sensitive to reveal minimum ranges of biologic variation.