Methods of Digital Bite Registration: A Narrative Review

Background: One of the significant challenges in dentistry is the registration of the bite and the dental and jaw relations of patients. In this regard, various methods exist, including traditional bite registration using wax and silicone, and digital methods using intraoral scanners. Digital bite registration can lead to increased work speed, a reduction in the number of patient visits, and shorter treatment duration. However, in patients with complex conditions such as edentulous patients or patients with improper bites, the use of digital scanners can pose challenges. This review study aims to investigate different digital bite registration methods and assist dentists in selecting the most appropriate method in various situations.Methods and Materials: This systematic review study was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines and using the PICO approach to examine and compare different digital bite registration methods in dentistry. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (ISI) databases for articles published between 2015 and 2025. After evaluating 70 initial articles, 25 articles were studied in detail, and among them, 14 more relevant articles were selected for final review. The selected articles were analyzed using the ROBINS-I tool for methodological quality assessment. The selection criteria for articles included studies related to digital bite registration in patients with various jaw and dental conditions and the use of different digital methods for bite registration. This study compared digital and traditional bite registration methods and considered various factors such as accuracy, efficiency, ease of use, and the satisfaction of patients and dentists.Results: The results of this study showed that digital bite registration methods have several advantages over traditional methods, including reduced treatment time and improved accuracy in bite registration. This study examined different digital bite registration methods in various categories such as complete edentulism, partial edentulism, protrusive bite, and open bite.Conclusion: In this review study, different digital bite registration methods were investigated, including the use of temporary dentures, the patient's previous prosthesis, silicone indices, tissue markers, special body-worn skeletal scanners, bite pillars, and facial scanners. Furthermore, the preparation of a protrusion index using a George Gauge and digital bite registration with the aid of Rugae in patients with an open bite condition were also discussed in this research. Overall, the results indicate that digital methods can offer better accuracy and efficiency in various clinical situations.