A digital approach to dynamic jaw tracking using a target tracking system and a structured-light three-dimensional...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Technology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Accurate tracking of mandibular movement is crucial for various dental applications.
• Traditional methods for tracking jaw motion have inherent limitations.
• Integrating cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) with optical scanning offers potential for enhanced accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel technical procedure for tracking mandibular movement.
• To digitally portray the motion of the mandible and temporomandibular joints.
• To merge three-dimensional (3D) optical scanner data with CBCT data for precise motion analysis.

Main Methods:

• Attaching four nonreflective targets to the labial surface of incisors in a noncolinear arrangement.
• Tracking mandibular movement using a 3D facial scanner and target tracking software.
• Merging facial scanning data, diagnostic cast data, and CBCT scan data using anterior tooth landmarks.

Main Results:

• The moving path of the mandible was converted to CBCT-based data.
• Actual movement of the mandible and temporomandibular joints was confirmed.
• The digital method demonstrated realistic reconstruction of mandibular movements.

Conclusions:

• The digital implementation of mandibular movement tracking overcomes limitations of mechanical equipment.
• This technique allows for more realistic reconstruction of jaw movements.
• Applications include dental prostheses fabrication and temporomandibular joint disorder diagnosis and treatment.