Comparison of measured deviations in digital implant scans depending on software and operator

Area of Science:

• Digital Dentistry
• Metrology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate measurement of deviations in digital implant scans is crucial for successful dental restorations.
• Evaluating the impact of 3D analysis software and operator variability on these measurements is essential for clinical reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of different 3D analysis software (metrology-grade vs. non-metrology-grade) and operator influence on measured deviations in implant scans.
• To compare the accuracy and reliability of various software platforms in analyzing digital intraoral scans.

Main Methods:

• A combined healing abutment-scan body system was digitized using an industrial scanner to create a master STL file.
• Intraoral scans were generated and analyzed using metrology-grade (Geomagic Control X, GX; GOM Inspect) and non-metrology-grade (Medit Link) software.
• Deviation analysis was performed by two operators, with data analyzed using ANOVA and F tests.

Main Results:

• Most models showed similar deviations across tested software, irrespective of the operator.
• Operator correlation was generally high (ICC ≥ .712), with notable exceptions in specific models using GOM Inspect software.
• Significant differences among software were found only in one model analyzed by one operator, with GOM Inspect showing the highest deviations.

Conclusions:

• Non-metrology-grade 3D analysis software can serve as a suitable alternative to metrology-grade software for measuring deviations in digital implant scan bodies.
• High inter-rater reliability was observed overall, but GOM Inspect software demonstrated potential for greater variability across operators.