How do labs assess occlusion?

For restorative dentists, the articulator setup is the starting point. When physical impressions come in, technicians mount casts using a facebow transfer and centric relation or maximum intercuspation record, then check excursive movements by hand. A semi-adjustable articulator handles most single-unit and short-span cases; complex full-arch rehabilitations benefit from a fully adjustable setup with condylar guidance values drawn from the patient's records. That distinction matters when the case involves steep anterior guidance or significant vertical dimension changes.

On fully digital cases, occlusal assessment happens inside the CAD environment. The technician imports the opposing scan and bite scan, then checks clearance at static occlusion and in protrusive and lateral excursions before committing to a mill path. Most CAD platforms flag under-clearance automatically, but the technician's eye catches what the software misses, particularly in the posterior when buccal cusps are marginal. At Dani Dental, every digital case goes through a manual occlusal review after CAD verification, not instead of it.

For prosthodontists managing full-arch or implant-supported cases, a lab that participates in pre-op planning can flag occlusal scheme conflicts before the surgery appointment. Sending a CBCT alongside the intraoral scan lets the lab evaluate available interarch space and recommend the appropriate prosthetic design, which prevents remake cycles driven by clearance problems that only surface at the try-in.