A new technique for testing accuracy and sensitivity of digital bite registration: A prospective comparative study

Area of Science:

• Digital Dentistry
• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Intraoral scanners (IOS) utilize algorithms for digital model articulation.
• Assessing the accuracy and sensitivity of virtual articulations is crucial.
• Comparing virtual occlusal recording with traditional methods is an important secondary objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy and sensitivity of virtual occlusal registrations.
• To compare virtual bite registrations (BR) with traditional methods.
• To determine the efficacy of different bite registration materials.

Main Methods:

• Four groups of bite registrations (BR) were created from 40 Class I patients: wax, C-type silicone, A-type silicone, and virtual BR using Appliance Designer software.
• Traditional BRs were scanned using intraoral scanners (IOS).
• Digital models were superimposed using Geomagic Control X for quantitative analysis of deviations (Mpos, OTA).

Main Results:

• Virtual BR (Group 4) showed the lowest Out Total Area (OTA) at 22.3%, compared to C-type silicone (28.4%) and wax (57.0%).
• Mean positive deviation (Mpos) was lowest for virtual BR (72.2μ) and C-type silicone (82.7μ).
• Wax exhibited significantly greater surface deviation than other methods (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Virtual bite registrations are a viable alternative to conventional methods.
• Silicone-based materials and virtual registrations demonstrate superior accuracy over traditional wax.
• Further research may explore clinical applications and long-term stability.