Comparison of a conventional and virtual occlusal record

Area of Science:

• Digital Dentistry
• Dental Technology
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) in Dentistry

Background:

• Conventional dental methods are increasingly supplanted by digital technologies.
• The fabrication of occlusal records for virtual articulators represents a key area of digital transformation.
• Traditional interocclusal records and physical articulators are being superseded by virtual counterparts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a virtual workflow for accurately positioning a mandibular cast in 3D space.
• To verify occlusal contact points against the maxillary cast using a virtual articulator.

Main Methods:

• Maximal intercuspal position of 6 cast sets was determined without physical interocclusal records.
• Occlusal contacts were initially identified using articulating paper.
• Dental casts and occlusal relationships were digitized using 3D scanning technology.
• Occlusal contacts were compared via photographs and software screenshot superimposition.
• Deviation analysis of discrete points and the entire occlusal surface of the mandibular cast was performed.

Main Results:

• Analysis of virtual occlusal records was conducted using three reverse engineering software packages.
• The virtual occlusion procedure demonstrated a mean deviation of 0.069 mm.
• A mean standard deviation of 0.011 mm was observed across all points on the occlusal surface.

Conclusions:

• The virtual occlusion procedure offers superior accuracy compared to traditional physical interocclusal records.
• Quantifying alignment deviations, such as best-fit algorithms, provides valuable insights into the virtual procedure's reliability.