Digital analysis of occlusion and articulation using the T-Scan: the scientific background

The T-Scan is a diagnostic tool used for accurately diagnosing occlusion and articulation. While, among other things, articulation paper is traditionally used for these purposes, the T-Scan seems to offer more advanced capabilities besides recording occlusal contacts, including: intensity of occlusal loading force, and timing of occlusal loading forces during the closure trajectory of the lower jaw. Hereby, the T-Scan would objectify the diagnostic process. Research on the T-scan has yielded conflicting results regarding accuracy and reproducibility. Some studies emphasize the potential benefits of the T-Scan and report high reproducibility values in recording relative loading force and timing, while others report the opposite and state that the T-Scan is inferior compared to traditional methods in terms of locating occlusal contacts. Further research is needed to draw a clearer conclusion on the effectiveness of the T-Scan in occlusion and articulation diagnostics. In the meantime, articulation paper remains an essential tool, even when utilising the T-Scan and so clinician interpretation still plays a significant role.