Two-Color Overlay Occlusal Adjustment for Implant-Supported Single Crowns: A Chairside Clinical Technique.

Abstract

Objective: To describe a chairside two-color overlay method for qualitative comparison of occlusal contact markings recorded before and after seating an implant-supported single crown.

Clinical considerations: Baseline contacts are recorded on adjacent and opposing natural teeth while the implant site remains edentulous, using one surface color of a two-sided articulating medium. After definitive crown seating, contacts are recorded under the same conditions with the opposite color. Coincidence and noncoincidence of the two markings are used as visual references during routine clinical assessment and conservative refinement. The technique is intended for selected patients with stable occlusion, maintained vertical dimension, reproducible maximal intercuspal position, and reliable reference teeth. It provides neither force nor timing measurements, and interpretation remains operator dependent.

Conclusions: The two-color overlay method is a qualitative chairside aid intended to support clinician understanding and control during occlusal adjustment. It should not be interpreted as establishing greater restorative predictability, accuracy, or clinical superiority. Prospective comparative studies are required to determine criterion validity, examiner reliability, and clinical outcomes.

Clinical significance: This chairside workflow provides a qualitative visual aid for comparing baseline and post-seating occlusal markings in selected patients with stable occlusion and reliable reference teeth. Its intended role is to support clinician understanding and control during adjustment, not to quantify force or timing or to establish greater restorative predictability. Potential clinical advantages require confirmation in prospective comparative studies.