Full arch scans: conventional versus digital impressions--an in-vitro study

Area of Science:

• Dental technology
• Digital dentistry
• CAD/CAM applications

Background:

• Digital intraoral impressions are integral to CAD/CAM workflows.
• Evaluating accuracy of digital impressions versus conventional methods is crucial for clinical adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy (trueness and precision) of full arch digital impressions against conventional impressions using an in-vitro model.

Main Methods:

• A master model was scanned for reference.
• Conventional impressions and plaster models were created.
• Digital impressions were acquired using Cerec AC Bluecam and Lava COS systems.
• Plaster models were scanned, and all data were superimposed for analysis.

Main Results:

• Trueness: Conventional (55 ± 21.8 µm), Cerec Bluecam (49 ± 14.2 µm), Lava COS (40.3 ± 14.1 µm).
• Precision: Conventional (61.3 ± 17.9 µm), Cerec Bluecam (30.9 ± 7.1 µm), Lava COS (60.1 ± 31.3 µm).
• Digital impression accuracy was found to be similar to conventional methods in this in-vitro setting.

Conclusions:

• Digital intraoral impression systems demonstrate comparable accuracy to conventional methods for full arch models.
• Further clinical studies are recommended to validate these in-vitro findings.
• The study highlights the potential of digital impressions in modern restorative dentistry.