COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERMAXILLARY REGISTRATION: ANTERIOR JIG METHOD VS. CLASSIC APPROACH IN ANTERIOR REHABILITATION WITH LATERAL OCCLUSAL CONTACT PRESERVATION

This study compares the anterior jig method with the classic bimanual technique for recording intermaxillary relations in patients who have lost anterior occlusal stops. A total of 51 patients (36 females, 16 males, mean age 42.6 years) had their anterior teeth prepared from canine to canine, resulting in the loss of anterior occlusal stops. Occlusal and incisal records were obtained using 3Shape (Denmark) digital scanning technology and analyzed with Exocad (Exocad GmbH, Germany) software. The results showed that the anterior jig method significantly reduced discrepancies, with an average difference of 0.837 mm, compared to the classic method. This difference was statistically significant (Mann-Whitney, p<0.001), especially among female patients. The anterior jig method provided better condylar positioning and minimized errors associated with the classic technique. These findings highlight the superior accuracy of the anterior jig method for recording intermaxillary relations when anterior stops are lost, emphasizing its reliability over the classic method.