Dynamic modeling and jaw biomechanics

Bioengineered simulations of dynamic events in the human masticatory system are relatively new. A primary advantage is their ability to integrate structure and function in cause-and-effect scenarios. By permitting detailed analyses of these interactions, and the prototyping of prosthetic additions, the models generate working hypotheses. Significant issues in their use include the importation and measurement of structural geometry, the choice of parameters affecting dynamics (e.g. inertial properties and viscoelasticities) and the nature of the modeling process (e.g. whether models are kinetically driven by muscle contraction, or kinematically defined by movement channels). Presently, there are few accepted standards or conventions for managing these computational data in the human jaws, and the data used are often derived from multiple and disparate sources. This review focuses on the approaches, assumptions, and key applications of dynamic modeling in the human masticatory system. It considers the role of imaging, the restrictions imposed by assumptions of unknown or unverifiable data, and how modeling can be a useful research technique despite these hurdles. The review concludes with a comment on creating virtual models for educational purposes.