Jaw motion tracking systems – literature review

Abstract

Mandibular movement analysis is an integral part of the diagnosis and therapeutic processes in the fields of prosthodontics, orthodontics, or maxillofacial surgery and for many years has remained a subject of studies. For the stomatognathic system to work physiologically, during mastication, swallowing, and speaking, stability and proper dynamics of movement are crucial. The TMJ’s intricate anatomy and biomechanics require complete harmony in order to be healthy and functional. A major implication might result from any problem or malfunction that impacts even one of the system’s components, eventually triggering the onset of a temporomandibular disorder. Six degrees of freedom (6 DOF) – three translational and three rotational, which correspond to all conceivable motion axes of a rigid body in a three-dimensional space-are used to biomechanically describe the mandibular kinematics. Pure rotation or translation in TMJ function is a rare occurrence. For many years, in the field of traditional prosthodontics workflow, instrumentation in the form of mechanical articulators and face bows has been used. However, due to the articulator’s basic design and, in some cases, the inability to perform patient-specific movement modeling, there are still unavoidable limitations of their use. Today, in the era of digital dentistry, innovative and efficient instruments for treatment planning and diagnostics in orthodontic and prosthodontic workflow, as well as in gnathological research, are jaw motion tracking systems (JMT). The aim of this literature review was to describe digital protocols and to characterize methods and instruments that enable individualized treatment of patients in the scope of complex mandibular movements.