A Digital Workflow for Virtual Articulator Mounting Using Face Scan and Facebow Capture: A Proof-of-Concept

Area of Science:

• Digital dentistry
• Dental prosthetics
• Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)

Background:

• Traditional facebow transfers are crucial for accurate dental articulator mounting.
• Current methods may involve ionizing radiation or subjective landmark identification.
• Digital workflows offer potential for enhanced precision and efficiency in prosthodontics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel digital technique for virtual articulator mounting.
• To utilize a scanned facebow as a virtual reference for maxillary arch orientation.
• To eliminate the need for ionizing radiation and facial landmark identification in the transfer process.

Main Methods:

• A digital technique was developed for virtual articulator mounting.
• Intraoral scans, 3D facial scans, and a scanned facebow were digitally aligned.
• The process was integrated into a CAD-CAM environment (Ceramill Mind).

Main Results:

• The technique accurately reproduces the cranium-to-maxilla spatial relationship.
• Virtual cross-mounting is achieved without ionizing radiation.
• The method enables the use of a semi-adjustable articulator within CAD-CAM software.

Conclusions:

• This radiation-free digital facebow transfer is a viable alternative for virtual articulator mounting.
• The technique is intuitive and can be integrated into modern clinical CAD-CAM workflows.
• Further research with larger cohorts and standardized protocols is needed to confirm clinical reproducibility and reliability.