Smile Design and Treatment Planning-Conventional versus Digital-A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Digital Dentistry

Background:

• Various methods exist for prosthodontic treatment previews, including computer simulations, 3D models, wax-ups, and mock-ups.
• Assessing the aesthetic outcomes of conventional versus digital prefigurative techniques is crucial for treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the aesthetic aspects and assessment of conventional (analog) versus digital prefigurative methods in prosthodontics.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 5 patients and 3 observers.
• Conventional wax-ups were compared to digital wax-ups, with mock-ups created using analog molding and digital milling.
• Clinical mock-ups were photographed and assessed by observers based on nine aesthetic criteria.

Main Results:

• A balanced aesthetic assessment was observed between analog and digital prefigurative methods.
• No statistically significant differences were found in the overall aesthetic criteria between the two techniques.

Conclusions:

• While minor variations in smile and dental criteria were noted, the overall data from conventional and digital wax-ups were highly similar.
• Conventional methods yielded slightly higher average grades for smile criteria compared to digital methods.