Additively Manufactured Scan Bodies for Virtual Patient Integration: Different Designs, Manufacturing Procedures, and Clinical Protocols

Use of an optical jaw-tracking system to record mandibular motion for treatment planning and designing interim and definitive prostheses: A dental technique

Optical jaw-tracking systems can record mandibular motion during the various treatment phases. Also, computer-aided design programs facilitate the integration of a patient's digital information, including recorded mandibular motion, into the design of interim and definitive prostheses. A technique to fabricate a complete mouth implant-supported rehabilitation by using mandibular motion captured with an optical jaw-tracking system is described. The mandibular motion recordings obtained before the treatment are combined with the interim restorations to perform a diagnostic waxing, design the computer-guided implant plan, and fabricate maxillary and mandibular screw-retained implant-supported interim and definitive prostheses. The process allows occlusal adjustments by using the patient's mandibular motion and facilitates the prosthetic design process, minimizing chair time at delivery.

An overview of artificial intelligence based applications for assisting digital data acquisition and implant planning procedures

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of the current artificial intelligence (AI) based applications for assisting digital data acquisition and implant planning procedures.

OVERVIEW

A review of the main AI-based applications integrated into digital data acquisitions technologies (facial scanners (FS), intraoral scanners (IOSs), cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) devices, and jaw trackers) and computer-aided static implant planning programs are provided.

CONCLUSIONS

The main AI-based application integrated in some FS's programs involves the automatic alignment of facial and intraoral scans for virtual patient integration. The AI-based applications integrated into IOSs programs include scan cleaning, assist scanning, and automatic alignment between the implant scan body with its corresponding CAD object while scanning. The more frequently AI-based applications integrated into the programs of CBCT units involve positioning assistant, noise and artifacts reduction, structures identification and segmentation, airway analysis, and alignment of facial, intraoral, and CBCT scans. Some computer-aided static implant planning programs include patient's digital files, identification, labeling, and segmentation of anatomical structures, mandibular nerve tracing, automatic implant placement, and surgical implant guide design.

Creating three-dimensional virtual patients by superimposing intraoral and facial digital scans guided with an aligner system: A dental technique

A technique for creating 3-dimensional virtual patients (3DVPs) by superimposing intraoral and facial digital scans guided with a novel aligner system is described. This aligner system supports design modifications to adapt to different facial scanning methods (FSMs) and reduce the impact of FSMs on the accuracy of 3DVPs. Two different designs of the aligner system are described: one for use with less-accurate FSMs and another for use with more-accurate FSMs. These virtual designs are available for download and use.