Effect of Different Software Programs on the Accuracy of Dental Scanner Using Three-Dimensional Analysis

Area of Science:

• Digital dentistry
• Computer-aided design (CAD)
• 3D metrology

Background:

• Accurate 3D analysis of dental models is crucial for digital dentistry.
• Evaluating the consistency of different software programs is essential for reliable digital workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of four software programs (Geomagic control X, GOM Inspect, Cloudcompare, Materialise 3-matic) for 3D analysis.
• To assess the impact of analysis region size (complete arch, half arch, tooth preparation) on software performance.

Main Methods:

• In vitro study using CAD reference models (CRM) and CAD test models (CTMs).
• Scanners were used to obtain models, and mesh data were processed.
• Four software programs performed alignment and 3D comparison, with Root Mean Square (RMS) as the metric.
• Statistical analysis (ANOVA, Tukey HSD) compared RMS values across software and regions.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in RMS values were found among the four software programs for half-arch and tooth preparation regions (p < 0.001).
• No significant difference was observed among the software programs for the complete-arch region (p = 0.139).
• Smaller analysis areas (half arch, tooth preparation) showed increased variability based on the software used.

Conclusions:

• Software choice significantly impacts 3D analysis accuracy for smaller dental regions like half arches and tooth preparations.
• For complete arch analysis, the choice of software among the tested programs did not significantly affect the results.
• The findings suggest that users should be aware of software-specific variations when performing detailed 3D analyses in digital dentistry.