A Full‐Digital Technique to Mount a Maxillary Arch Scan on a Virtual Articulator

Abstract

Mounting casts accurately on an articulator is a prerequisite for the treatment planning/execution of complex dental cases that require occlusal rehabilitation. A full digital approach to transfer the position of maxillary dentition to a virtual articulator, by using intraoral scans and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) files is presented. This technique offers reduced chairside time and the flexibility of choosing the orientation plane. It can be used in orthognathic surgeries, complex interdisciplinary treatments requiring a CBCT scan with a large field of view, or treatments that already have the head CT or CBCT scans from previous diagnosis/treatment.

Setting the Sagittal Condylar Inclination on a Virtual Articulator Using Intraoral Scan of Protrusive Interocclusal Position and Cone Beam Computed Tomography

“…Similar to a traditional mechanical articulator, a virtual articulator is an instrument to reproduce the position of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches, and to simulate the movement of jaw . Recently, many studies on a virtual articulator have been reported; however, most studies include mounting of the maxillary dental arch, or comparing the accuracy of articulation with a traditional mechanical articulator …”

“…This technique is a relatively simple clinical procedure to obtain the individual SCI and can assist in fabricating prosthesis to minimize the occurrence of occlusal interferences, especially in extensive reconstruction. To use this technique, mount the maxillary dental arch on a virtual articulator using the virtual facebow technique, mount the mandibular dental arch, and set the SCI on a virtual articulator …”

“…The SCI values were measured as 43.50° on the left side and 45.50° on the right side by Christensen's method, and 44.25° on the left side and 46.17° on the right side by this technique. We speculate that the small difference in the SCI value is caused by the facebow transfer procedure and the positioning of the FH plane, than the articulation procedure . Compared to the arbitrary facebow transfer method, the position of the FH plane in this technique is closer to that of the kinematic facebow transfer method, which is a gold standard …”

Registering Maxillomandibular Relation to Create a Virtual Patient Integrated with a Virtual Articulator for Complex Implant Rehabilitation: A Clinical Report

“…Arbitrary hinge-axis was located using Bergstrom's points (10 mm anterior to the Porion and 7 mm below the Frankfort horizontal plane) and marked with a long 3D shaft in Meshmixer (Fig 4A). 20,21 The 3D images of the face scan, intraoral scans, and skull reconstruction were superimposed within the dental CAD software to create a virtual patient. This virtual patient was mounted on a virtual articulator by matching the arbitrary hinge-axis and face ( Fig 4B).…”

“…This virtual patient was mounted on a virtual articulator by matching the arbitrary hinge-axis and face ( Fig 4B). 20 With the digital articulator, the mandibular movement of the patient could be simulated according to the individualized TMJ-jaw relationship (Video 1). Average sagittal condylar inclination and Bennett angle were set on the virtual articulator.…”