Comparison of Sagittal Condylar Inclination and Bennett Angle Using Dynamic Jaw Motion Tracking System, Conventional Facebow Transfer, and a CBCT-Based Registration Method: A Single-Participant Pilot Feasibility Study

Accurate programming of sagittal condylar inclination (SCI) and Bennett angle (BA) is important for prosthodontic treatment, yet evidence directly comparing conventional and digital recording approaches remains limited. This single-participant pilot feasibility study compared SCI and BA obtained using a digital jaw motion tracking system, a conventional facebow transfer method, and a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based registration method. Ten repeated datasets were generated for each method from one healthy adult participant. The digital system recorded mandibular motion using optical tracking and automatically calculated SCI and BA in a virtual articulator. The conventional method used a mechanical facebow and check-bite records, whereas the CBCT-based method combined one centric-relation CBCT scan with repeated protrusive and lateral interocclusal records after digital alignment. Significant differences were observed for left SCI (p = 0.036), left BA (p = 0.049), and right BA (p < 0.001), whereas right SCI was not significantly different (p = 0.197). The digital method showed the lowest standard deviations across all variables and lower coefficients of variation for left SCI, right SCI, and left BA. Within the limitations of this single-participant pilot study, digital jaw motion tracking demonstrated favorable repeatability and clinically comparable measurements, supporting its potential utility in digitally integrated prosthodontic workflows.