Introduction
Patient records play a critical role in dentistry. Not only are they a legal component to treatment planning, but they are a necessary component to assist with diagnoses and treatment planning. Records also provide clinical information necessary for patient and laboratory communication1,2. In this technological age, the clinician can decide between virtual or tangible records, which may include casts, the facebow, articulation and photographs3,4. It has been illustrated that precisely mounted diagnostic casts still offer enormous information required for treatment planning, which will impact any prosthodontic plan5.
The accuracy of mounting is critical. Similarly, the inaccurate mounting of patient casts create erroneous information. …show more content…
However, this has been lacking6 due to the minimal use of records. To help alleviate this problem, communication tools that provide important clinical information must be engaged7,8, so that laboratories can competently complete lab requests. This would ensure clarity and accuracy in the fabrication and delivery of prosthodontic work9.

Background: Max Align
Max Align (Max) is a tablet-based application, complete with peripherals, supplied by Whip Mix (Louisville, KY). Max has a clinical component10 of capturing an image of the patient!s face in proper orientation, and a record of occlusion. This provides essential information for communication with the laboratory, and other individuals. The clinical component contains necessary information needed for the novel approach to mounting of the maxillary cast. Mounting may be completed by the clinician or the information can be emailed to the lab, where a technician would complete the mounting.
This case report will demonstrate the laboratory component of how to effectively utilize Max Align to accurately mount the maxillary and mandibular casts of a …show more content…
The screen will have cross hairs that assist orientation. The vertical line should bisect the maxillary midline and the horizontal line should line up with the incisal edges (Figure 9). If the cast is off from the image, reposition the cast. The occlusal table can be tilted (Figure 10) and raised or lowered (Figure 11) to approximate the clinical record (Figure 12). Once the maxillary cast has been accurately lined up with the clinical record, arm the auto capture to take an image. The technician may then change to position and/or size of the image to facilitate proper orientation. Utilize the plaster to mount the maxillary cast at that position (Figure 13). Once the maxillary cast has been mounted, transfer it to a standard articulator (Figure 14).
The second screen of the !lab" component is the !checked teeth" screen (Figure
15). This is a clinical record of occlusion derived from the patient. Utilize the occlusal record to accurately mount the mandibular cast to the maxillary cast (Figure 16). Verify the occlusion and refine the mounting plaster (Figure 17). Once properly completed, the articulator will house simulated patient casts with the same maxillary orientation and occlusal contacts as the initial patient