Effectiveness of creating digital twins with different digital dentition models and cone-beam computed tomography

Distortion of dentition may occur in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans due to artifacts, and further imaging is frequently required to produce digital twins. The use of a plaster model is common; however, it has certain drawbacks. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of different digital dentition models over that of plaster casts. Plaster models, alginate impressions, intraoral scan (IOS) images, and CBCT images of 20 patients were obtained. The desktop model scanner was used to scan the alginate impression twice, five minutes and two hours after impression-making. Using an IOS, the full arch was scanned in segments using CS 3600 and simultaneously with i700 wireless. The digital twins obtained from the alginate impression and IOS were superimposed with those obtained from the plaster cast. The differences and distances at each reference point were measured. Scans of alginate impressions after two hours showed the greatest discrepancies, but these were all less than the CBCT voxel size of 0.39 mm. Alginate impression scans and IOS are suitable supplements to CBCT compared to the plaster model. Accuracy can be improved by scanning the alginate impression within five minutes or by intraoral scanning of the entire arch with segmentation.