Intraoral scanner-based virtual facebow transferring: A chairside dental technique.

Accurately mounting dental casts on an articulator is an essential step in prosthetic treatments. In digital dentistry, virtual articulator mounting procedures rely on virtual facebow records. However, virtual facebow records usually require devices like face scanners or jaw motion tracking systems that are not commonly available in most dental practices. The present technique report describes a straightforward intraoral scanner-based virtual facebow transfer approach. In this technique, a reference facebow joint support was first scanned and aligned with a virtual articulator. Then, a patient's facebow joint support and bite fork assembly were scanned chairside with an intraoral scanner and aligned with the virtual articulator by matching common features with the reference facebow joint support. After aligning the patient's intraoral scans with the patient's bite fork scan that was already superimposed on the virtual articulator, a virtual mounting process was achieved. Once the corresponding reference facebow joint supports have been generated, this technique can be easily implemented with most facebow systems and be seamlessly integrated into daily clinical practice as only an intraoral scanner and a conventional facebow were required.

An Indirect Digital Technique to Transfer 3D Printed Casts to a Mechanical Articulator With Individual Sagittal Condylar Inclination Settings Using CBCT and Intraoral Scans.

With the widespread application of digital impression techniques in prosthetic dentistry, accurate intraoral scan mounting, and virtual articulator parameters setting as per patients' anatomic structures are essential for treatment planning and restoration fabrication, especially for complex rehabilitation cases; meanwhile, marginal fit checking, occlusal adjustment, and porcelain layering of restorations are also crucial procedures in all cases in which the analog procedure to mount maxillary arches on a mechanical articulator is still required. This technique article presents an indirect digital approach that can first achieve virtual intraoral scan mounting and sagittal condylar inclination value setting of an Artex virtual articulator based on bony structures provided by a single cone beam computed tomography scan. It then facilitates the transfer of virtually mounted intraoral scans from the virtual articulator to the matched Artex mechanical articulator by relating a digitally scanned mounting plate of the Artex mechanical articulator to the virtual articulator, printing the intraoral scan and mounting plate scan assembly, and then mounting the printed casts on the mechanical articulator based on the printed mounting plate. This technique eliminates the conventional facebow transfer and protrusive bite registration procedures and offers a straightforward approach for the seamless integration of virtual environments and analog workflows into clinical practice. It aids in the design of restorations that are harmonious with the mandibular movements and reduces chairside adjustment time.

Virtual Articulators and Virtual Mounting Procedures: Where Do We Stand?

A virtual articulator is a computer software tool that is capable of reproducing the relationship between the jaws and simulating jaw movement. It has gradually gained research interest in dentistry over the past decade. In prosthodontics, the virtual articulator should be considered as an additional diagnostic and treatment planning tool to the mechanical articulator, especially in complex cases involving alterations to the vertical dimension of occlusion. Numerous authors have reported on the available digital methodologies used for the assembly of virtual arch models in a virtual articulator, focusing their attention on topics such as the virtual facebow and digital occlusal registration. To correctly simulate jaw movement, the jaw models have to be digitalized and properly mounted on the virtual articulator. The aim of this review was to discuss the current knowledge surrounding the various techniques and methodologies related to virtual mounting in dentistry, and whether virtual articulators will become commonplace in clinical practice in the future. This review also traces the history of the virtual articulator up to its current state and discusses recently developed approaches and workflows for virtual mounting based on current knowledge and technological devices.

Evaluation of the accuracy of a fully digital method of measuring sagittal condylar inclination.

OBJECTIVES: This clinical study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a fully digital technique for measuring sagittal condylar inclination (SCI), as well as validating whether differences existed between the left and right SCI values of the same participant, to provide a reference for clinical practice. METHODS: Ten participants with good occlusal relationship and normal temporomandibular joint were recruited. Three methods were used to measure the SCI values of the participants, namely, A (mechanical facebow transferring and mechanical articulator-based measuring method with physical protrusive interocclusal registration), B (face scan-based virtual facebow and virtual articulator-based measuring method with digital protrusive interocclusal registration), and C (jaw motion tracking system-based measuring method). With the group subjected to methods A and C as the control, the SCI values obtained by the three methods were statistically analyzed. The left and right SCI values of the same participant were also compared. RESULTS: The left and right SCI values measured by method A were 41.70°±7.09° and 42.80°±8.62°, those by method B were 35.09°±12.49° and 37.63°±12.10°, and those by method C were 39.43°±8.72° and 38.45°±6.91°. No significant difference existed among the SCI values measured by the three methods (P>0.05). Meanwhile, no statistical difference existed between the SCI values on the left and right sides of the same participant (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of the virtual facebow and digital protrusive occlusal registration based SCI measuring method was the same as that of mechanical facebow based and jaw motion tracking system-based methods. The SCI values on the left and right sides of the same participant were similar. Clinically, an appropriate SCI measurement and setting strategy can be selected based on the actual situations.

Comparação de técnicas de montagem em articuladores virtuais: fotografia versus valores médios na determinação da posição maxilomandibular / Comparison of mounting techniques in virtual articulators: photography versus average values in determining maxillomandibular position

Os articuladores virtuais visam superar limitações dos métodos analógicos na odontologia, integrando-se ao avanço do sistema CAD/CAM para um fluxo digital crescente. Entre as tecnologias disponíveis, destacam-se os articuladores simulados matematicamente, que facilitam reproduções precisas e rápidas na rotina clínica virtual. Este estudo avaliou a eficácia desses articuladores, comparando técnicas de montagem utilizando fotografias e valores médios automáticos. A pesquisa sobre articuladores virtuais na odontologia restauradora investigou a transição dos métodos analógicos para os virtuais, focando na melhoria da precisão e eficiência dos tratamentos. Utilizando escaneamento intraoral, foram obtidos modelos digitais em Máxima Intercuspidação Habitual (MIH) e posição protusiva, processados no software DentalCad. Dois métodos de montagem foram comparados: um utilizando fotografias para montagem arbitrária e outro baseado em valores médios automáticos. Os resultados mostraram que ambas as técnicas alcançaram níveis similares de precisão na reprodução da posição protusiva da maxila. Especificamente, a média das distâncias entre os modelos protusivos e o modelo de controle não apresentou diferenças estatisticamente significantes (p > 0,05), conforme ANOVA de medições repetidas. Esses achados destacam a eficácia dos articuladores virtuais em integrar fluxos de trabalho digitais na odontologia, eliminando as limitações dos métodos analógicos. Conclui-se que a adoção de articuladores virtuais oferece uma abordagem promissora para a odontologia restauradora moderna, com potencial para melhorar significativamente a precisão dos tratamentos e otimizar a prática clínica (AU)

Virtual articulators aim to overcome limitations of analog methods in dentistry, integrating with the advancement of CAD/CAM systems for a growing digital workflow. Among the available technologies, mathematically simulated articulators stand out for enabling precise and rapid reproductions in virtual clinical routines. This study assessed the effectiveness of these articulators by comparing assembly techniques using photographs and automated average values. Research on virtual articulators in restorative dentistry investigated the transition from analog to virtual methods, focusing on enhancing treatment precision and efficiency. Through intraoral scanning, digital models in Maximum Intercuspation Habitual (MIH) and protrusive position were obtained and processed using DentalCad software. Two assembly methods were compared: one using photographs for arbitrary assembly and another based on automated average values. Results indicated that both techniques achieved similar levels of accuracy in reproducing the protrusive position of the maxilla. Specifically, the mean distances between protrusive models and the control model showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05), as per repeated measures ANOVA. These findings underscore the efficacy of virtual articulators in integrating digital workflows in dentistry, eliminating analog method limitations. It is concluded that adopting virtual articulators offers a promising approach for modern restorative dentistry, with potential to significantly enhance treatment precision and optimize clinical practice (AU)