Restoration of Severe Tooth Wear: Converting the Splint Jaw Position Into Definitive Restorations

Area of Science:

• Dental prosthodontics
• Occlusal rehabilitation
• Restorative dentistry

Background:

• Severe tooth wear often leads to loss of vertical dimension of occlusion.
• Comprehensive prosthodontic treatment is frequently required for these cases.
• Accurate transfer of established jaw relationships to final restorations is a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe simplified approaches for transferring pretherapy established jaw relationships to definitive restorations.
• To enhance the predictability of treatment outcomes in patients with severe tooth wear.

Main Methods:

• Structured treatment planning to minimize errors.
• Preliminary testing phase using occlusal splints or long-term provisional restorations.
• Noninvasive therapy with splints following diagnostic mock-up.
• Evaluation of functional, esthetic, and phonetic parameters with long-term temporaries.

Main Results:

• The use of occlusal splints and long-term temporaries facilitates accurate clinical transfer of validated bite positions.
• Modular treatment approaches can be combined to tailor therapy to individual patient needs.
• This strategy ensures predictable function, esthetics, and preservation of tooth structure.

Conclusions:

• Thorough diagnostics and a structured, noninvasive pretreatment approach are essential.
• Reliable methods for transferring tested bite relationships are critical for successful definitive restorations.
• Combined modular treatment components allow for predictable outcomes in occlusal rehabilitation.