Digital post scan with three intraoral scanning systems - An in vitro study

Area of Science:

• Digital dentistry
• Dental materials science
• Prosthodontics

Background:

• Digital post scan (DPS) is crucial for accurate post and core (PC) restorations.
• Evaluating intraoral scanner (IOS) performance in DPS is essential for clinical application.
• Light penetration to the preparation's apical part influences DPS accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of DPS using three different IOS: Primescan (PRI), Trios 5 (TRI), and Medit i700 (MED).
• To evaluate the light reaching the apical preparation during DPS.
• To determine the influence of tooth type and adjacent teeth on DPS feasibility.

Main Methods:

• Fifty clinical post and core cases were 3D printed for virtual analysis.
• Lux-value measurements were taken during DPS using PRI, TRI, and MED.
• Feasibility was assessed by surface deviation (<50 µm) and statistical analysis (ANOVA).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in light reaching the apical preparation were found between PRI, TRI, and MED (p < 0.001).
• PRI demonstrated superior performance, with TRI showing limited feasibility only in specific cases.
• The type of tooth did not significantly influence DPS feasibility (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Primescan (PRI) is recommended for digital post scan due to its superior light emission and feasibility.
• Trios 5 (TRI) and Medit i700 (MED) exhibited inferior results, potentially affecting post and core fit accuracy.
• Intraoral scanner depth of focus is not a reliable indicator for DPS feasibility.