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Updated: Oct 21, 2025
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
[Quantitative study of intraoral scanners' accuracy]
1Center of Digital Dentistry, Faculty of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology & National Center of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology & Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Computerized Dentistry Ministry of Health & Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
Scanning longer dental arch spans with intraoral scanners (IOS) can decrease accuracy. This study established a standard method to evaluate IOS scanning accuracy, finding that longer spans significantly impact results.
Area of Science:
- Dental Technology
- Metrology
- Digital Dentistry
Background:
- Intraoral scanners (IOS) are increasingly used in digital dentistry for accurate dental impressions.
- Evaluating the scanning accuracy of IOS across different arch spans is crucial for reliable clinical application.
- Standardized methods are needed to objectively assess the performance of various intraoral scanning devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a standardized methodology for assessing intraoral scanner (IOS) scanning accuracy.
- To evaluate the scanning accuracy of six different IOS devices.
- To investigate the impact of scan span length on IOS accuracy.
Main Methods:
- A high-precision milled 7075 aluminum alloy full arch model with six abutments served as the test model.
- Reference accuracy was established using a coordinate measuring machine (0.7 μm accuracy).
- Six IOS devices scanned the model 10 times each, generating 60 datasets for analysis across single crown, three-unit bridge, five-unit bridge, and full arch spans.
Main Results:
- Scanning trueness ranged from 13.3–29.6 μm for single crowns to 24.0–107.9 μm for full arches.
- Scanning precision ranged from 7.6–20.7 μm for single crowns to 24.6–150.1 μm for full arches.
- Accuracy (both trueness and precision) generally decreased as the scan span increased.
Conclusions:
- Longer scan spans significantly affect the scanning accuracy of intraoral scanners.
- The developed standard method provides a reliable approach for evaluating IOS performance.
- Clinicians should consider the impact of scan span length on IOS accuracy in clinical practice.
