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Updated: May 17, 2026
07:57
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Accuracy of digital and conventional impression techniques and workflow.
Paul Seelbach1, Cora Brueckel, Bernd Wöstmann
1Department of Prosthodontics, Justus-Liebig-University, Schlangenzahl 14, 35392, Giessen, Germany. paul.seelbach@dentist.med.uni-giessen.de
Clinical Oral Investigations
|October 23, 2012
Summary
Digital impression systems offer comparable accuracy to traditional methods for fabricating dental restorations. This in vitro study found that intraoral scans from systems like CEREC provide reliable results for full ceramic crowns, making them a viable clinical alternative.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Digital Dentistry
- Prosthodontics
Background:
- Conventional dental impressions are a cornerstone of fabricating fixed prosthetic restorations.
- Digital impression techniques are emerging as a potentially more efficient and accurate alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of full ceramic crowns fabricated using three intraoral scanning systems (Lava C.O.S., CEREC, iTero) against conventional impression techniques.
- To evaluate accessible marginal inaccuracy (AMI) and internal fit (IF) of crowns produced by digital and conventional methods.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a simplified molar model for in vitro testing.
- Acquisition of impressions using both conventional (two-step and single-step putty-wash) and digital (Lava C.O.S., CEREC, iTero) techniques.
- Manufacturing of full ceramic crowns from various materials and fabrication systems, followed by measurement of AMI and IF.
Main Results:
- Digital impression systems showed comparable accuracy to conventional methods for fabricating full ceramic crowns.
- CEREC system demonstrated particularly favorable results in terms of accessible marginal inaccuracy.
- Internal fit measurements varied across systems, with Lava C.O.S. showing lower errors compared to others.
Conclusions:
- Digital impression techniques are a viable clinical alternative to conventional impressions for the fabrication of fixed dental restorations.
- The accuracy of digital impression systems supports their integration into routine dental practice for prosthetic work.
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