Evaluation of the accuracy of three-dimensional reconstruction of edentulous model jaw relation based on dental articulator positioning

A dental articulator and three-dimensional (3D) scanner were utilized to reconstruct the spatial relationship between upper and lower edentulous jaw gypsum models made from five patients. The 7-axis Faro Edge contact measurement system was used to evaluate the vertical and horizontal distances between jaws. Paired t-test results of vertical distance (0.089±0.428 mm) and horizontal distance (-0.082±0.221 mm) between points on the jaws showed no significant differences (P>0.05). One-Way ANOVA of the same measurement data for the five models also showed no significant differences (P>0.05). With an error of less than 0.1 mm, these measurements met clinical requirements. In conclusion, 3D reconstruction of edentulous jaw gypsum models with accurate jaw relation was made possible by scanning the models in centric relation on a dental articulator.