A Virtual Kinematic Design of Dental Restorations Using Reverse Engineering

In terms of diagnosis, planning and treatment, when a dental patient needs a complex restoration or presents a temporomandibular disorder, it is necessary to reproduce the mandibular movements out from mouth. The best tool for this purpose is the virtual articulator. Virtual articulators enable a design that takes into account the kinematics necessary for the design process of dental restorations and at the same time, avoids possible collisions. The location of the hinge axis constitutes just one step in attempting to reproduce mandibular movement. However, the importance of this step arises from the fact that almost all movements start at the axis and return to it. Therefore, this study focuses on the virtual acquisition of the patient’s mandible rotation axis (kinematic axis) using reverse engineering devices.