Trueness of 4 sectional-cast digital methods for transferring the interocclusal relationship in complete mouth rehabilitation.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:An accurate digital workflow for transferring the interocclusal relationship from complete arch diagnostic interim restorations to complete arch tooth preparations is essential in complete mouth rehabilitation. However, research on the accuracy of digital cross-mounting methods is lacking. PURPOSE:The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the trueness of 4 sectional-cast digital cross-mounting methods in transferring the interocclusal relationship for complete mouth rehabilitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS:Maxillary and mandibular anatomic typodonts were used to build complete arch tooth preparations and diagnostic interim restorations for complete mouth rehabilitation in vitro. Four sectional casts were designed: an anterior cast (AR), a posterior cast (PO), a unilateral cast (UL), and a tripod cast (TR). Both extraoral scanning (EOS) and intraoral scanning (IOS) were used to obtain intermediate digital sectional casts, which were cross-registered with diagnostic interim restorations and definitive casts to transfer the interocclusal relationship. Trueness was determined by assessing tooth distance deviation and mandibular 3-dimensional (3D) deviation. Differences among the 4 sectional-cast methods were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test, and differences between the 2 scanning methods were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test (α=.05). RESULTS:Significant differences in the trueness of interocclusal relationship transfer were observed among the 4 sectional-cast methods (P<.05). Regarding tooth overall distance deviation, TR-EOS found no statistically significant difference compared with PO-EOS (P>.05), but TR-EOS had half the overall distance deviation of PO-EOS. Both TR-EOS and PO-EOS had smaller deviations than the AR-EOS and UL-EOS groups (P<.05). TR-IOS had a smaller distance deviation than the AR-IOS, PO-IOS, and UL-IOS groups (P<.05). The overall distance deviation of EOS was significantly smaller than that of IOS in the TR and PO groups (P<.05). Regarding mandibular 3D deviation, TR-EOS found no statistically significant difference but had half the root mean square (RMS) of 3D deviation compared with the PO-EOS groups (P>.05). Both TR-EOS and PO-EOS groups had a smaller RMS than the AR-EOS and groups (P<.05). The TR-IOS group had a smaller RMS than the AR-IOS, PO-IOS, and UL-IOS groups (P<.05). The 3D deviation of EOS was significantly smaller than that of IOS in the PO group (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS:Both EOS and IOS with the tripod sectional-cast digital method accurately transferred the interocclusal relationship for complete mouth rehabilitation.