Analysis of two methods for occlusal contact registration with the T-Scan system.

Various authors have studied the reproducibility of occlusal contact by means of the T-Scan computerized system and obtained contradictory results. In the present work the value of the T-Scan system as a method for exploring occlusion has been analysed. For this purpose, the same variable, i.e. the number of contacts, was recorded in 31 subjects using the two operation modes enabled by the T-Scan and the respective results were then compared. After an analysis of variance was performed to test the equality of averages of the number of tooth contacts for each patient in the four positions studied (maximum intercuspation, edge to edge protrusion, right laterality and left laterality) in the time and force analysis modes, the results obtained showed that the number of occlusal contacts is significantly different for each patient both in the various mandibular positions and in the force and time analysis modes, being proportionally greater in the latter case.