Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
In Vitro Evaluation of Ambient Lighting Effects on Intraoral Scanner Accuracy for Maxillary and Mandibular Arches
Purpose:
The effect of ambient lighting on intraoral scanner accuracy has mostly been evaluated for single-arch scans, leaving limited evidence regarding its comparative influence on maxillary and mandibular arches. The purpose of this study was to compare intraoral scanner accuracy for maxillary and mandibular arches under varying ambient lighting conditions.
Material And Methods:
A maxillary and a mandibular typodont model was digitized using a laboratory scanner (3Shape E4) to obtain reference STL files. Two different intraoral scanners (iTero Element 5D and TRIOS 3) were evaluated under five different lighting conditions: zero light, daylight, room light, low intensity chair light and high intensity chair light. 10 digital scans per each group and a total of 200 scans were performed (n=10). The digital scans and the reference STL files were superimposed using Geomagic Design X software to analyze accuracy.
Results:
Statistically significant differences were found among scanners, arches, and ambient lighting conditions (p<0.001). The mandibular arch showed greater accuracy than the maxillary arch (p<0.001). Zero light yielded the lowest trueness values while room light provided the most accurate results (p<0.001). Scanner performance varied under different lighting conditions, with iTero Element 5D consistently outperforming TRIOS 3.
Conclusions:
Ambient lighting significantly affects intraoral scanner accuracy, with room light providing the most reliable results. Optimizing lighting conditions is crucial for improving digital impression accuracy in clinical and laboratory settings.
