ObjectiveTo review the research progress of digital occlusion setup in orthognathic surgery. Methods The literature related to digital occlusion setup in orthognathic surgery in recent years was consulted, and the imaging basis, methods, clinical applications as well as existing problems were reviewed. Results Digital occlusion setup in orthognathic surgery includes manual, semi-automatics, and fully automatic methods. The manual method mainly relies on visual cues for operation, which is difficult to ensure the best occlusion set up, though relatively flexible. The semi-automatic method utilizes the computer software for partial occlusion set up and adjustment, but the occlusion result is still largely depended by manual operation. The fully automatic method completely depends on the operation of computer software, and targeted algorithms for different occlusion reconstruction situations are needed. Conclusion The preliminary research results have confirmed the accuracy and reliability of digital occlusion setup in orthognathic surgery, but there are still some limitations. Further research is needed in terms of postoperative outcomes, doctor and patient acceptance, planning time and cost-effectiveness.