Why static bite records are not enough
for complex dental cases

Static bite records capture a single mandibular position, recorded at a precise moment in time. This approach works well in many straightforward situations.

However, complex dental cases behave very differently. They are dynamic by nature, and this is where the limitations of static records become evident.

A static record tells us where the mandible is at one moment. It does not tell us how it moves nor how it functions during daily activities such as chewing or speaking.

Static intraoral scans and digital occlusal visualizations may suggest a plausible occlusion during the design phase.
However, they do not capture key functional elements, such as :

• Opening and closing paths
• Lateral and protrusive movements
• Chewing patterns
• Movements related to speech

A static bite record captures a moment. Function unfolds over time.

In daily practice, occlusal problems in complex cases rarely appear during the digital design phase. They tend to emerge after delivery, once the patient starts using the restorations in real-life conditions.

Common consequences include :

Many occlusal issues are not design problems, they are functional problems.

Digital workflows have significantly improved precision and reproducibility.
Scanning technologies and CAD/CAM systems allow clinicians and laboratories to design restorations with remarkable accuracy.

However, most digital workflows are still built around static data.

There is currently a missing link in the digital workflow when it comes to function. In the analog era, clinicians relied on tools such as manual facebows or axiographs to capture elements of mandibular dynamics. While these systems had limitations, they acknowledged an essential principle: occlusion is not only positional, it is functional.

In many contemporary digital workflows, clinicians scan, record a static bite, and transfer the data directly to the laboratory. The process is efficient and precise, but it often omits real functional movement.

Digital dentistry has perfected shape and alignment, yet function still requires dynamic information that static data cannot provide.

Improving predictability in complex dental cases requires a shift in perspective.
Rather than focusing solely on static positions, clinicians need to incorporate functional movement into their diagnostic and planning process.

This approach makes it possible to evaluate function before treatment delivery, instead of correcting occlusal issues afterward.

MODJAW is a jaw motion capture system designed to record real-time mandibular movement and integrate functional data into digital dentistry workflows.

In this case, dynamic motion analysis revealed findings that could not have been anticipated from static records alone.