Effect of prosthodontic planning on intercuspal occlusal contacts: Comparison of digital and conventional planning

•Wax-ups can improve the occlusal contacts.•The two wax-up had provided a comparable outcome.•The practicality of digital wax-up is yet to be investigated.

BackgroundAdequate occlusal contacts are critical for masticatory function. The aim of this study is to evaluate the intercuspal occlusal contacts following conventional and digital wax-ups.MethodsStone casts of 15 patients undergoing prosthodontic treatment were gathered. Each cast was duplicated twice, so that conventional and digital wax-ups could be performed. To assess the occlusion, the following variables were evaluated: contact number per tooth (CNT), contact area per tooth (CAT) and contact accuracy. Further, the impact of tooth location in the arch was assessed.ResultsThe CNT and CAT after the wax-ups increased significantly following each wax-up, and this increase was more prominent for the posterior teeth than the anterior teeth. The conventional wax-up was associated with lower CNT than the digital wax-up, especially for the posterior teeth. On the other hand, the CAT was greater for the conventional wax-up than the digital wax-up for the anterior and posterior teeth. In terms of accuracy, the two wax-ups showed greater discrepancies than the pre-treatment casts, however, the magnitude of discrepancy was greater for the digital wax-up.ConclusionsThe two wax-ups improved the contact number and area. Despite the statistical variation between the wax-ups, the actual difference was minimal. Therefore, it could be speculated that the two wax-ups produced a similar outcome.