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Optimizing registration strategy for facial scanning data accounting for varied precision in different facial regions
Jun Jia1, Ruifeng Zhao2, Qin Li3
1Department of Stomatology, Zhengzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Digital Dentistry Center, School of Stomatology, State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Objectives:
The use of an extraoral scan body (ESB) for facial scanning data registration has limited clinical applications due to the need to consider variations in micro-movements in different facial regions. Developing ESB-free registration methods that utilize facial surface information may provide a valuable alternative.
Methods:
The precision of an ESB-based method for 3D dummy head scanning data was evaluated using root mean square (RMS) deviation values, along with a volunteer study that assessed the precision of different facial regions after ESB-based registration. ESB-free registration methods utilizing various facial regions were developed and compared.
Results:
There was no statistically significant difference (P=0.058) in RMS deviation values between the ESB-based method (0.1021±0.0004 mm) and the full-face based registration method (0.1017±0.0005 mm). The forehead, zygomaticofacial, nasal, and suborbital regions showed minimal movement compared to other facial regions. When registering repeated facial scan data in a resting state, using these four regions as the reference led to enhanced precision (P<0.0001).
Conclusions:
Utilizing an ESB fixed on the maxillary dental arch for facial scanning data registration proved to be accurate. The ESB-free method based on the four selected facial regions may be a user-friendly approach for clinical applications, allowing for the creation of highly precise virtual patients in a convenient manner.
Clinical Significance:
A facial scanning registration strategy that eliminates the need for an ESB and utilizes a four-region group comprising the forehead, zygomaticofacial, nasal, and suborbital regions offers a user-friendly alternative to the traditional ESB-based method, delivering comparable accuracy.
