OLD MEETS NEW IN OCCLUSAL ANALYSIS. A LITERATURE REVIEW

There is an ongoing controversy regarding the best way of obtaining an accurate occlusal analysis for the diagnosis and treatment of various complex cases. The purpose of this review was to describe and compare the advantages and limitations of conventional and modern occlusal indicators in dentistry. An electronic search of the scientific literature was performed on PubMed and Cochrane databases using as keywords: articulating paper; conventional; digital; intraoral scanner; occlusion; occlusal contacts; T-Scan. A total number of 145 articles were found and 68 were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of the articles supported the use of modern techniques, such as the T-Scan system and the intraoral scanner. However, due to the heterogeneity of materials and methods used in the selected studies, none of the methods can be proclaimed as the best for occlusal analysis, being currently complementary and not mutually exclusive.

Automated summary

An electronic search of scientific literature identified 145 articles comparing conventional and modern occlusal indicators in dentistry. While modern techniques like the T-Scan system and intraoral scanner were generally supported, the diverse materials and methods used in the studies prevent any single method from being declared the best for occlusal analysis, instead requiring a complementary approach.