Does Clinical Experience Affect Chairside Digital Waxing of Single Crowns More Than Software Training?

To compare the accuracy of dentists with different levels of expertise in computer-aided design (CAD) and prosthodontics to digitally design single crowns.

This in vitro study was conducted on 12 prepared teeth in 2 reference dental study models. The models were scanned using an intraoral scanner. Four dentists with different levels of clinical and CAD expertise (PROS: clinicians experienced in prosthodontics [n = 2]; CAD: experts in CAD [n = 2]) performed digital waxing on all prepared teeth using the same CAD software program. The resulting digital crown designs were compared to STL files of the original teeth to assess 3D deviations. The total cervical, distal, mesial, and occlusal surface deviations of the crowns from both groups were compared using paired t and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (α = .05).

The total median 3D deviation was 0.10 mm (range: 0.03 to 0.61 mm) for the PROS group and 0.14 mm (range: 0.07 to 0.58 mm) for the CAD group. The PROS group presented significantly smaller total 3D (P = .021) and cervical margin (P = .001) deviations. There were no significant differences between groups on the distal, mesial, or occlusal surfaces (P > .05). The CAD group performed digital waxing significantly faster (P = .001).

Within the limitations of this study, the present findings suggest that clinical experience has a higher impact on the accuracy of digital wax patterns of single crowns than CAD experience.