Which occlusal angle is approximately 15 degrees and represents the horizontal movement of the condyles during lateral excursion (the Bennet angle)?

Which occlusal angle is approximately 15 degrees and represents the horizontal movement of the condyles during lateral excursion (the Bennet angle)?

• A. Bennet angle
• B. Horizontal condylar inclination (HCI) angle
• C. Incisal guidance
• D. Christensen's Phenomenon

Answer: (A)

The Bennet angle describes the side-to-side, or mediotrusive, movement of the jaw during lateral excursions. When you move the mandible to one side, the nonworking condyle shifts medially in the horizontal plane while the working condyle guides the movement. The angle between that condyle’s path and the sagittal plane in the horizontal view is about 15 degrees on average, which is why it’s commonly described as approximately 15 degrees. This horizontal component of the condylar movement is precisely what the Bennet angle quantifies and is used when setting up articulators to simulate lateral jaw movement. Incisal guidance concerns how the front teeth guide protrusive movement and does not describe this lateral, horizontal condylar shift. Christensen’s Phenomenon relates to posterior tooth contacts changing during protrusion, not to lateral excursion. Horizontal condylar inclination is a related but distinct parameter describing the condylar path in a different plane or context, not the horizontal side-shift defined by the Bennet angle.

The Bennet angle describes the side-to-side, or mediotrusive, movement of the jaw during lateral excursions. When you move the mandible to one side, the nonworking condyle shifts medially in the horizontal plane while the working condyle guides the movement. The angle between that condyle’s path and the sagittal plane in the horizontal view is about 15 degrees on average, which is why it’s commonly described as approximately 15 degrees. This horizontal component of the condylar movement is precisely what the Bennet angle quantifies and is used when setting up articulators to simulate lateral jaw movement.

Incisal guidance concerns how the front teeth guide protrusive movement and does not describe this lateral, horizontal condylar shift. Christensen’s Phenomenon relates to posterior tooth contacts changing during protrusion, not to lateral excursion. Horizontal condylar inclination is a related but distinct parameter describing the condylar path in a different plane or context, not the horizontal side-shift defined by the Bennet angle.