Journal of Prosthodontics News
June 22, 2021
Integrating Facial and Intraoral Scans for Digital Esthetic and Occlusal Design
Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, a technique report presenting a digital protocol to integrate facial and intraoral scanning, digital cross-articulation, and virtual articulator to achieve better esthetic outcomes and occlusal design for a definitive prostheses.
The traditional analog workflow for prosthesis design can be time-consuming and unpredictable. The purpose of this technique was to register facial and intraoral scans predictably. A 3D virtual patient was created through facial scans, intraoral scans, digital face-bow transfer, and digital cross-articulation. This virtual patient allowed predictable positioning of intraoral scans to a virtual articulator by using digital face-bow transfer.
One limitation of this technique may be the accuracy of complete-arch intraoral scans which is still not supported by sufficient evidence. In this presented technique, intraoral scans containing premolar-to-premolar region were used. Although the clinical outcome was acceptable, further studies are needed to verify the accuracy of this method.
Overall, this digital protocol can create a 3D virtual dental patient to achieve more predictable esthetic and functional clinical outcomes for the definitive prostheses.
Sun A, Yang Y, Gao H, et al: Integrating facial and intraoral scans for digital esthetic and occlusal design: a technical report. J Prosthodont 2021. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13397
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