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Journals / Selcuk Dental Journal / 2025 / Volume: 12 Issue: 3

The Clinical Use of Virtual Articulators in the Digital Era

Dijital Çağda Sanal Artikülatörlerin Klinik Kullanımı

Nuran Yanıkoglu(ATATÜRK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-7677-1248
Betül Ayhan(KIRIKKALE ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-3388-8037
Merve Köseoğlu(SAKARYA ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-9110-9586
Pages
—
Publication Date
2025-12-29
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In conclusion, it is understood that virtual reality has changed the practice of dentistry and will continue to improve dental procedures in the near future.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Virtual articulators simulate inter-jaw relationships in a computerized environment.
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Key Findings & Data:Within the scope of the study, 41 articles published in different databases were included.
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Conclusion & Impact:In conclusion, it is understood that virtual reality has changed the practice of dentistry and will continue to improve dental procedures in the near future.
🔬Design:Review
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:articulators · dental · virtual reality

Abstract

Virtual articulators simulate inter-jaw relationships in a computerized environment. Virtual and augmented reality are used as digital tools to support dental clinical practice and education. Many authors have published studies investigating the digital techniques available for the use of a virtual articulator. The aim of the present study was to analyze the existing literature on virtual articulators. Within the scope of the study, 41 articles published in different databases were included. In current technology, there are 2 different types of virtual articulators: fully adjustable and mathematically simulated. The workflow of virtual articulators consists of 4 main steps: digitizing the dental arch by scanning it with an intraoral scanner or 3D laser scanner, occlusal registration, virtual facebow, and virtual mounting. The advantages of virtual articulators are that they provide three-dimensional visualization, improve communication between dentist, dental technician, and patient, increase efficiency, facilitate patient education, integrate with computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, evaluate both static and dynamic occlusion, and analyze occlusal interferences. The disadvantages of virtual articulators are that mounting the casts to the articulator and scanning these takes time, increases the cost as it requires special software, scanners, and technical knowledge and skills. In conclusion, it is understood that virtual reality has changed the practice of dentistry and will continue to improve dental procedures in the near future. Virtual articulators simulate occlusion in a virtual environment with the potential to be translated into clinical practice. In the future, these systems need to be augmented by 4-dimensional technology in dynamic simulations.

Özet

Sanal artikülatörler, çeneler arası ilişkileri bilgisayar ortamında taklit etmektedir. Sanal ve artırılmış gerçeklik, diş hekimliği klinik pratiğini ve eğitimini destekleyen dijital araçlar olarak kullanılmaktadır. Birçok yazar, sanal bir artikülatörün kullanımı için mevcut dijital tekniklerin araştırıldığı çalışmalar yayınlamıştır. Mevcut çalışmanın amacı, sanal artikülatörlerle ilgili mevcut literatürleri analiz etmektir. Çalışmada kapsamında, farklı veri tabanlarında, sanal artikülatörle ile ilgili yayınlanmış 41 adet makale çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Mevcut teknolojide, tamamen ayarlanabilir ve matematiksel olarak simüle edilmiş olmak üzere 2 farklı sanal artikülatör çeşidi vardır. Sanal artikülatörlerde iş akışı, diş arkının ağız içi tarayıcı yada 3 boyutlu lazer tarayıcı ile taranarak dijitalleştirilmesi, okluzal kayıtların alınması, yüz arkı kullanımı ve bu bilgilerin dijital ortama aktarılmasını içeren 4 ana adımdan oluşmaktadır. Sanal artikülatörlerin avantajları; üç boyutlu görsel sağlayarak, diş hekimi, diş teknisyeni ve hasta arasında iletişimi geliştirmesi, verimliği arttırması, hasta eğitimini kolaylaştırması, bilgisayar destekli tasarım ve üretim sistemleriyle entegre çalışması, hem statik hem de dinamik oklüzyonu değerlendirmesi, oklüzal düzensizlikleri analiz etmesidir. Sanal artikülatörlerin dezavantajları, modellerin alçı ile mekanik artikülatöre bağlanması ve taranmasının zaman gerektirmesi, özel yazılım, dijital tarayıcılar gerektirdiğinden maliyeti arttırması, teknik bilgi ve beceri gerektirmesidir. Sonuç olarak, sanal gerçekliğin diş hekimliği pratiğini değiştirdiği ve yakın gelecekte de diş hekimliği prosedürlerini iyileştirmeye devam edeceği anlaşılmaktadır. Sanal artikülatörler, klinik pratiğe dönüştürülme potansiyeli ile oklüzyonun sanal bir ortamda simülasyonuna olanak tanımaktadır. Gelecekte ise, bu sistemlerin dinamik simülasyonlarda 4. boyut teknolojisiyle desteklenmesi gerekmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Yanıkoglu, N., Ayhan, B., Köseoğlu, M. (2025). The Clinical Use of Virtual Articulators in the Digital Era. Selcuk Dental Journal, Volume: 12 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.15311/selcukdentj.1609630

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