Digital occlusal analysis of bite registration with anteroposterior inclined head positions

This clinical study aimed to evaluate the effects of various head positions within physiological movement limits on occlusal contacts (OCs) in digital bite registrations (BRs) obtained using an intraoral scanner (IOS).

This study included 36 individuals with natural dentition without missing teeth. Maxillary and mandibular scans were performed using an IOS (Trios4). The natural (NHP), forward (FHP), and backward (BHP) head positions were determined using a manual goniometer, and three BRs were obtained using an IOS. A new assessment method, the "digital occlusion analysis" module (oJMA, Zebris), was used to assess the OCs in these BRs. Dental arch scans and BRs were imported into the digital occlusion module. OC evaluation was performed on buccal-lingual cross-sections obtained at 1 mm intervals on the four left and right posterior teeth of the mandible. Each section was evaluated for the number, intensity, and location of OCs between pairwise comparison groups of head positions.

The number of OCs significantly decreased in the BHP-FHP group with respect to contact points (P = 0.03). OC intensity was similar among the three groups. However, OC location was significantly reduced in the NHP-BHP and NHP-FHP groups compared with the NHP group, specifically for functional cusp contacts (P = 0.03, P = 0.018).

Digital BRs obtained in different head positions showed significant differences only in the OC locations in the FHP and BHP compared with the NHP. The effect on the number of OCs was observed as the angle between the head positions increased from FHP to BHP.