• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to generate 3-D occlusal curvatures and evaluate the relationship between the occlusal curvatures and mandibular occlusal morphology factors. Methods: Mandibular dental casts from 25 young adult Korean were scanned as a virtual dental models with a 3-D scanner(Scanner S600, Zirkonzahn, Italy). The curve of Spee, curve of Wilson, and Monson's sphere were generated by fitting a circle/sphere to the cusp tips using a least-squares method. The mandibular mesiodistal cusp inclination, buccolingual cusp inclination, and tooth wear parameters were measured on the prepared virtual models using RapidForm2004(INUS technology INC, Seoul, Korea). Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to test side difference, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were investigated to verify the correlation between occlusal curvatures and correlated factors (a=0.05). Results: The mean radii of curve of Spee were $83.09{\pm}33.94$ in the left side and $79.00{\pm}28.12mm$ in the right side. The mean radii of curve of Wilson were $66.82{\pm}15.87mm$ in the mesial side and $47.87{\pm}9.40mm$ in the distal side with significantly difference between mesiodistal sides(p<0.001). The mean radius of Monson's sphere was $121.85{\pm}47.11mm$. Most of the cusp inclination parameters showed negative correlation for the radius of Monson' sphere(p<0.05). Especially, the buccolingual cusp inclinations in mesial side of molar showed high correlation coefficients among the factors(p<0.05). Conclusion: The radius of Monson's sphere was greater than the classical 4-inch values, and the buccolingual cusp inclinations in mesial side of molar can be considered as one of the main factors correlating with the radius of Monson's sphere.