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Diagnostic accuracy of impression-free digital models
Sercan Akyalcin1, Benjamin E Cozad, Jeryl D English
1Assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Tex.
Summary
Chairside intraoral scanners provide highly accurate digital dental models, closely matching manual measurements. This impression-free technology offers superior diagnostic information compared to cone-beam computed tomography for dental anatomy.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Digital Imaging
- Dental Technology
Background:
- Impression-free techniques for digital dental models may overcome limitations of traditional methods.
- Chairside scanners enable direct digital model acquisition from patients, eliminating the need for physical impressions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of 3D digital models from a chairside intraoral scanner.
- To compare these digital models against manual and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) measurements of dental anatomy.
Main Methods:
- 60 dry skulls were scanned using a Cadent iTero chairside scanner and a CS 9300 CBCT unit.
- Linear and tooth-size arch-length analyses were performed manually and digitally.
- Intraclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses were used, with manual measurements as the gold standard.
Main Results:
- iTero scanner models showed near-perfect agreement (ICC: 0.91-0.99) with manual caliper measurements.
- CBCT measurements demonstrated moderate to high agreement (ICC: 0.65-0.99) with manual measurements.
Conclusions:
- Direct digital acquisition using chairside scanners yields highly accurate diagnostic information.
- Chairside scanner accuracy for dental anatomy surpasses that of CBCT measurements.
