[Study on mandibular movement trajectory and virtual occlusal pre-adjustment under light and heavy bite force]

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Dental Materials Science
• Digital Dentistry

Context:

• Mandibular movement trajectories are crucial for accurate occlusal design in digital prosthodontics.
• The influence of varying bite forces on these trajectories and subsequent virtual adjustments remains incompletely understood.
• Understanding these biomechanical factors is essential for optimizing digital full crown pre-adjustment.

Purpose:

• To investigate how light and heavy bite forces affect mandibular movement trajectories.
• To evaluate the impact of bite force on the virtual occlusal pre-adjustment of digital full crowns.
• To compare the accuracy of virtual occlusal pre-adjustment using trajectories derived from different bite forces.

Summary:

• Mandibular digital models were obtained, and jaw relations/movement trajectories were recorded under light and heavy bite forces using a jaw motion analyzer.
• Three-dimensional displacements of key mandibular markers were measured in various positions (ICP, protrusive, lateral edge-to-edge).
• Virtual full crowns were designed, and occlusal pre-adjustment was performed using trajectories from both bite force conditions, with deviations from natural teeth calculated.

Impact:

• Both light and heavy bite forces significantly influence mandibular movement trajectories.
• Virtual occlusal pre-adjustment guided by heavy bite force trajectories yields results closer to natural tooth morphology.
• This finding supports the use of heavy bite force data for enhanced accuracy in digital occlusal rehabilitation.