Digital setting of postoperative planned occlusion using occlusal contact points on a dental cast model in digital maxillofacial surgery.

Abstract

This study analyzed the accuracy of digital occlusion settings for maxillofacial surgery simulation using occlusal contact points obtained from dental cast models. Twenty-nine paired dental cast models of patients were used. The orthodontist set the dental cast for postoperative planned occlusion in the articulator. In the experimental group, a digital dental cast was placed in the occlusion state between the maxillary cast and the mandibular cast by the paired points matching method according to the more than four paired occlusal contact points. In the control group, the obtained digital dental cast data and occlusal lateral surface scan data were used to create maxillary and mandibular digital occlusions of the dental cast. Significantly greater error occurred when occlusion was set based on paired points matched by occlusal contact points than when direct intraoral scanning was used. This paired points matching method may be considered an alternative in cases in which superimposition using occlusal surfaces or the external surface of dental cast models is difficult in the clinical setting. However, the occlusal surface-based method for digital dental casts is recommended for digital planned occlusion in maxillofacial simulation.