What is Favored Pathway

This chapter describes the many clinical applications of Digital Occlusal Force Distribution Patterns (DOFDPs) recorded with the T-Scan Computerized Occlusal Analysis system. Movements made by the Center of Force trajectory as force travels around the dental arches during the occlusion and disocclusion creates these patterns. The repetitive occlusal contact data points locate the force distribution received when teeth occlude against each other. These force distribution patterns correlate to intraoral compromised dental anatomy found in radiographs, photographs, and during the clinical examination of teeth and their supporting tissues. Moreover, they directly influence the envelope of motion, the envelope of function, and head and neck posture. This chapter illustrates with clinical examples the correlation between Stomatognathic System structural damage and repeating patterns of abnormal occlusal force distribution. The T-Scan technology isolates these damaging regions of excess microtraumatic occlusal force, absent of clinician subjectivity, thereby helping clinicians make an accurate, organized, and documented occlusal diagnosis.