Relative trajectory-driven virtual dynamic occlusal adjustment for dental restorations

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Mechanics
• Computational Dentistry

Background:

• Abnormal occlusal contacts negatively impact oral jaw system coordination and health.
• Accurate assessment of occlusal contact and jaw factors is crucial for stomatognathic system diseases.
• Current methods for occlusal adjustment lack precision and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an accurate method for dynamic occlusal adjustment.
• To create a virtual system for simulating 3D occlusal movements and automatic adjustment.
• To enhance occlusal surface contact areas and achieve natural occlusal morphology.

Main Methods:

• A trajectory subtraction algorithm based on screw theory was developed to improve occlusal movement trajectory accuracy.
• A virtual dynamic occlusal adjustment system was created for 3D simulation, automatic detection, and adjustment.
• Laplacian deformation was adapted for active occlusal adjustment to increase contact areas.

Main Results:

• The proposed subtraction algorithm demonstrated feasibility with a root-mean-square error of 0.097 mm.
• The virtual system successfully simulated 3D occlusal movements and performed automatic occlusal adjustment.
• The adjusted occlusal surfaces showed increased contact areas and greater consistency with natural occlusal morphology.

Conclusions:

• The developed trajectory subtraction algorithm and virtual system offer a feasible and accurate solution for dynamic occlusal adjustment.
• The method aids dentists in achieving automatic adjustment of non-interference regions, improving restoration quality.
• The approach contributes to better assessment and management of stomatognathic system diseases related to occlusal issues.