Comparison of the Accuracy of 3D Images Obtained fromDifferent Types of Scanners: A Systematic Review
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 22, 2025
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Dorota Kustrzycka1, Tim Marschang2, Marcin Mikulewicz1
1Division of Facial Abnormalities, Department of Maxillofacial Orthopedics and Orthodontics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Introduction:
The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the accuracy of the three-dimensional images among different scanners, scanning techniques, and substrates. Materials and methods. Electronic databases (PubMed and Elsevier) were searched until March 2020. The systematic search was performed to identify the most precise method of obtaining a 3D image of the dentition.
Results:
Thirteen articles out of 221, considering the accuracy of 3D images, were selected. The main factors that are considered to have an influence on the precision are substrate type in the oral cavity, experience of the scanner's operator, direct vs. indirect scanning, and the reproducibility of the procedure.
Conclusion:
Substrate type does have an impact on the overall accuracy of intraoral scans where dentin has the most and enamel the least accurately recorded dental structure. Experience of the operator has an influence on the accuracy, where more experienced operators and smaller scan sizes are made for more accurate scans. A conventional impression technique in a full-arch image provided the lowest deviation. The reproducibility of direct scanning was comparable to indirect scanning although a slight difference was noticeable (0.02 mm).
