MI v CO

[BrownieDDD]

Is Maximum intercuspation the same thing as centric occlusion?

I remember that they are considered different, yet today I read a definition for centric occlusion: tooth guide position; independent of condyle position,; relationship between maxilla and mandible occlusal surface that provide the maximum intercuspation between teeth. This got me thinking..what is the difference between the two?

MI according to wikipedia: occlusal position of the mandible in which the cusps of the teeth of both arches fully interpose themselves with the cusps of the teeth of the opposing arch.

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[CMistry]

Centric occlusion describes the tooth relationship when the mandible is in centric relation. Maximum intercuspation describes the mandible position where occlusal contact is at its maximum. Think of somebody with a severe skeletal class II malocclusion - in CO they may only have posterior teeth occluding, while protruding the mandible may result in more intra-ach contacts.