Comparative occlusal study analog and digital – a pilot study

The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the analysis of maximal intercuspation, protrusive and laterotrusive movements requires an additional digital method of occlusal diagnosis using the T-Scan™ Novus™ device (TekScan). In this observational study, we retrospectively examined a number of 10 subjects which were divided into 2 groups: the 1st group involved patients with intact dental arches and the 2nd group with patients that had received implant-supported restorations. The methods of analysis involved the calibrated articulating paper of 200 and 40 micrometers, and also the T-Scan™ Novus™ device (TekScan). The following data were collected: contact points in maximum intercuspation (functional and premature contacts), the pairs of teeth performing protrusion and right/left laterotrusion, active/passive interferences and premature contacts during protrusion and right/left laterotrusion. Descriptive statistics were obtained using the MedCalc Statistical Software version 19.2.6 (MedCalc Soft-ware bv, Ostend, Belgium) and Microsoft Excel for MAC 2011. It was tested if a statistically significant difference existed between the diagnostic methods regarding the number of contact points. The T test for independent samples without the assumption of equal variances and the Mann-Whitney test was used (to which we reported the medians of the 2 subgroups and the P value adjusted for equalities) and also the magnitude of association using the Chi-square test (p value) was measured. Also it was studied the correlation between the number of premature contacts and the number of contact points, respectively, obtained by each diagnostic method, and we expressed the results through the Spearman correlation coefficient. The analysis of the maximum intercuspation, of the protrusive and the laterotrusive movements has shown comparable results using the two examination methods. There were no statistically significant differences between the two methods of analyzing dental occlusion.