What every smile designer needs to know about 4D technology

At the 2019 IDS show in Cologne, Christian Coachman caught up with Dr Maxime Jaisson, Chairman and Co-founder of Modjaw to talk about his company’s latest innovations in 4D technology. The concept of Modjaw was born when Maxime, a Dental Surgeon with a PhD in Biomechanical Engineering, combined tomodensitometric scans with industrial motion capture devices to model his own jaw motion. Inspired by the results, he decided to continue his research and partnered with Antoine Rodrigue to start Modjaw in 2013.

Christian believes that Modjaw brings to dentistry the final missing link in 4D technology. It’s the fourth dimension of the movement.

There are four steps to 4D dentistry:

• Scanning to create a 3D model
• Using 4D analysis with Modjaw
• Designing the smile with CAD/CAM technology
• Using this accurate design to create outstanding prosthetics

Dr Christian Coachman said:

Here are just five of the many great things about how this technology can help with facially driven design:

1. You can record real movement with sensors

You can integrate the facial scan of a patient with Modjaw technology to bring movement - this is not an articulator... it is the real movement of the patient’s jaw. By placing sensors on the patient’s face, you have all of the facial information and movement inside the 3D environment thanks to this innovative technology.

2. You can connect to any CAD/CAM software

You can use Modjaw with any CAD/CAM software, giving you greater flexibility as a dentist, making the technology work for you and your unique clinic set-up. This also means that technicians can now create wax-ups and prosthetics with the real movement of the patient.

3. It’s great for worn dentition cases

Thanks to 4D technology, we can open the vertical dimension, utilizing the natural and organic real movement of the patient. We no longer need to fake that movement on the articulator but can see for real what is happening.

4. You can test the design with the real movement

This advanced technology, reduces the need for changes, grinding and other issues by testing the design with the real movement of the jaw. You can drastically reduce the amount of adjustment in the mouth, whilst restoring the patient’s teeth to a more healthy position. One of the most challenging things in restoration, in my opinion, is restoring the healthy maxilla mandible relationship. This helps to get it right.

5. It can help to Improve communication with patients and with your lab staff

This is a way to design the smile that uses real-life patient movement to illuminate conversations in the dental lab. When we talk about aesthetic functional design, we have the aesthetic part under control, and now with this technology the functional part as well.

Imagine you have a patient with worn dentition; it is common to see patients with erosion, particularly at the back of the mouth. When it is functional erosion, treating the patient requires opening the vertical dimension to really see what is going on in the mouth. Without this technology we would have to design a teeth programmer and try to simulate what the mouth may move like. You can examine the movement with Modjaw. You can also manually change how much the Modjaw is opening and closing to measure exactly for minimally invasive restoration.

Showcasing this 4D technology at the DSD Residency 2:

Christian is planning show how to use this technology at the next DSD Residency 2: working with with Dr Marcelo Calamita on a real patient simulation as part of the course using the Modjaw.

Watch the full interview recorded with Maxime on Christian Coachman’s Instagram TV channel here.