A chairside concept for increasing the vertical dimension of occlusion in the maxilla and mandible

An entirely digital concept has previously been proposed for the reconstruction of the occlusal plane in the case of wear-induced loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO). The concept, however, calls for a face scan. Since this technology is less frequently available than a facebow, the concept discussed in this article proposes a combination of analog and digital techniques. It takes into account the problem of redefining the occlusal plane in the case of occlusal alteration, and tries to avoid a situation where the chairside digital design of the occlusal surfaces is performed without any anatomical references. Such a situation poses a significant risk if the treatment indication for bite elevation exists in both the maxilla and the mandible. Keywords: vertical relation, bite raising, chairside, CAD/CAM, planes, facebow, alternating, ceramic, composite