User experience of and satisfaction with computer-aided design software when designing dental prostheses: a...

Area of Science:

• Dental Technology
• Digital Dentistry
• Prosthodontics

Background:

• Computer-aided design (CAD) software is increasingly utilized in dental prosthetics.
• Evaluating user experience across different CAD software is crucial for optimizing workflows.
• User expertise level can influence perceptions of software performance and usability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare user responses and satisfaction with various CAD software programs for crown design.
• To assess the impact of user experience levels (novice vs. experienced) on CAD software evaluation.
• To identify specific software features that contribute to user satisfaction in digital dentistry.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire assessed user feedback on five domains: software visibility, data preparation, crown design, finish line registration, and overall experience.
• Fifty undergraduate dental students (inexperienced) and 50 dentists/technicians (experienced) participated.
• Participants used four CAD software programs: Meshmixer, Exocad, BlueSkyPlan, and Dentbird.

Main Results:

• Software usability scores differed significantly across programs, with Exocad favored by experienced users.
• Dentbird and Exocad received higher scores for crown design and finish line registration due to automated, deep learning-driven processes.
• Prior CAD experience significantly impacted user responses across all evaluated aspects.

Conclusions:

• User satisfaction with CAD software for dental prostheses is influenced by software type and user experience.
• Automated design functions in CAD software demonstrably enhance user satisfaction.
• The findings highlight the importance of user-centric design and experience in selecting and developing dental CAD solutions.