Comparative analysis of the application of virtual and mechanical articulators in functional diagnostics

The paper presents the results of examination of patients with articulation disorders of the lower jaw caused by internal pathology of the TMJ. The purpose of the presented work: to study the effectiveness of the use of mechanical and virtual articulators in the functional diagnosis of patients with internal TMJ disorders. All patients underwent comprehensive clinical and instrumental examination including cone-beam computed tomography (CT) and axiographic examination (optical axiograph Dentograf Prosystom, Russia). CBCT was used to assess the state of the TMJ and determine the individual ratio of jaw and joint models. When axiography was recorded and analyzed articular trajectories of the lower jaw. In the first group of patients dynamic occlusion was evaluated using a mechanical articulator, in the second group a virtual articulator was used. It was revealed that the use of mechanical articulators in functional diagnostics to assess dynamic occlusion is limited and does not allow to obtain individualized patient data, their efficiency was 75%. The use of virtual articulators allows to evaluate the dynamic occlusion during opening and closing of the mouth, protrusion and laterotrusion, as well as the continuous movement of the lower jaw with the registration of all possible dental contacts. Due to the combination of CT data of the patient’s head and virtual models, the highest accuracy of placing models in the virtual articulator in accordance with the individual characteristics of patients was achieved.