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Esthetic dental perception comparisons between 2D- and 3D-simulated dental discrepancies
Marta Revilla-León1, Hayley E Campbell2, Matthew J Meyer2
1Assistant Professor and Assistant Program Director AEGD, Comprehensive Dentistry Department, College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University, Dallas, Texas; Affiliate Assistant Professor, Graduate Prosthodontics, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash; Researcher, Revilla Research Center, Madrid, Spain.
Laypersons rated dental simulations more favorably than dentists and students, even with occlusal plane discrepancies. While 3D simulations generally received higher ratings, the preference for 2D simulations increased among all groups.
Area of Science:
- Dental Technology
- Digital Dentistry
- Clinical Simulation
Background:
- Intraoral scanners (IOSs), facial scanners (FSs), and computer-aided design (CAD) software are vital for treatment planning.
- Perception differences regarding 2D vs. 3D simulations among dental professionals and laypeople remain unanalyzed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze perceptions of laypersons, dental students, and dentists regarding dental discrepancies in 2D and 3D simulations.
- To assess views on maxillary dental midline and occlusal plane disparities in digital dental models.
Main Methods:
- 300 participants rated 2D images and 3D videos of simulated dental discrepancies.
- Simulations involved varying occlusal plane inclinations and midline alterations.
- Ordinal logistic regression analyzed participant ratings on a 1-6 scale.
Main Results:
- Ratings decreased as occlusal plane tilt increased; laypersons consistently rated simulations higher.
- 3D simulations generally improved ratings, but this effect diminished for students and laypersons.
- A majority of dentists (70%), students (57%), and laypersons (52%) preferred 2D simulations.
Conclusions:
- Laypersons perceived simulations more favorably than dental professionals, regardless of simulation type.
- Increased occlusal plane inclination led to lower esthetic ratings across all groups.
- Despite higher overall ratings for 3D, a preference for 2D simulations emerged among all participant groups.
