Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026

07:57
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Evaluation of dental arch reproduction using three-dimensional optical digitization
M E Brosky1, R J Major, R DeLong
1Department of Restorative Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA. brosk001@tc.umn.edu
The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry
|October 31, 2003
Summary
This study found no significant difference in dental arch reproduction accuracy between custom and stock impression trays. The impression tray type and laboratory setting technique did not impact the accuracy of the final dental cast.
Area of Science:
- Dental materials science
- Biomaterials engineering
- Prosthodontics
Background:
- Accurate reproduction of the dental arch is crucial for prosthodontic treatments.
- Clinicians face uncertainty regarding the most precise methods for creating dental arch reproductions due to varied techniques and materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how the choice of impression tray affects the accuracy of dental arch reproductions.
- Utilized a 3-dimensional optical digitizer for precise measurement of dimensional accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Vinyl polysiloxane impressions were made using custom and stock trays for a stone dental arch cast.
- Impressions were poured with Type IV gypsum, with casts set either inverted or not inverted.
- 3D optical digitizer and custom software analyzed dimensional accuracy by comparing digitized casts to a standard cast.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences in accuracy were found based on impression tray type (custom vs. stock).
- Laboratory setting techniques (tray inverted or not inverted) did not significantly affect the accuracy of the dental arch reproductions.
- The interaction between tray type and setting technique also showed no significant impact on accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Impression tray selection and laboratory setting techniques do not significantly influence the accuracy of dental arch reproductions when assessed with a 3D optical digitizer.
- The findings suggest that current methods provide comparable accuracy, regardless of these specific variables.

