To avoid tooth displacement during closure, bite registration material should offer:

• A. High rigidity before setting
• B. Limited resistance before setting
• C. No resistance at any stage
• D. Permanent elastic memory

Answer: (B)

When taking a bite registration, the material should yield enough to let the teeth come together naturally without being forced apart. This means it should offer limited resistance before it sets. That gentle give allows the teeth to contact and record the true intercuspal position without being displaced by a hard, rigid barrier. If the material were highly rigid before setting, it could push or separate teeth during closure. If there were no resistance at all, the teeth might sink into the material and the registration would be inaccurate. If the material had permanent elastic memory, it would tend to spring back after seating, distorting the recorded occlusion when the bite is removed. So, limited resistance before setting provides an accurate, stable bite record.