T-Scan Novus System Application—Digital Occlusion Analysis of 3D Printed Orthodontics Retainers

Abstract

(1) Background: This study aims to evaluate the occlusal force distribution across different quadrants during the placement of orthodontic retainers fabricated using a biocompatible material via digital design. (2) Materials and Methods: A cohort of 21 patients in the retention phase following orthodontic treatment was included in this study. Intraoral scans were obtained using Trios color (3Shape). For retainer fabrication, the splint studio module of the 3Shape design software was utilized. Occlusal evaluation was performed using T-Scan Novus (Tekscan). The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Wilcoxon signed ranks test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. (3) Results: The digital design set evenly distributed contacts on all occluding surfaces. These contacts, uniform in area, turned out to be uneven in pressure: right distal—37.14%, right frontal—11.4%, left frontal—11.46%, and left distal—39.99%. (4) Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that the digital design workflow has the capability to achieve uniform contact distribution by area. However, despite the achievement of uniform contact distribution, the study found that there was an unequal distribution of occlusal forces. Specifically, the distal sections of the teeth experienced significantly higher loading compared to the frontal sections.

Keywords

• dentistry
• digital occlusion
• digital design
• retainer
• splint
• 3Shape