Segmented Intraoral Scanning With a Palatal Marker for Complete-Arch Digital Implant Impressions: An In Vitro...

Area of Science:

• Digital Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate complete-arch implant impressions are crucial for successful prosthetic rehabilitation.
• Various digital and conventional impression techniques exist, each with potential limitations in precision.
• Evaluating new digital impression workflows is essential for improving clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of four complete-arch implant impression workflows.
• To assess the impact of segmentation and palatal markers on intraoral scanning (IOS) accuracy.
• To determine the most reliable method for maxillary edentulous implant impressions.

Main Methods:

• Four workflows were evaluated: segmented IOS with a palatal marker (IOS-LEGO-Seg), continuous full-arch IOS with (IOS-LEGO-Full) and without (IOS-Full) a palatal marker, and conventional impressions (CI).
• Ten repetitions per condition were performed on a maxillary edentulous cast with six implants.
• Concordance rate (within ±50 μm of reference) was the primary outcome, analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model.

Main Results:

• The segmented workflow (IOS-LEGO-Seg) showed the highest concordance rate, significantly outperforming other methods (p < 0.001).
• The addition of a palatal marker alone did not significantly improve accuracy between IOS-LEGO-Full and IOS-Full.
• Segmentation mitigated accuracy loss at distal molar sites observed in non-segmented IOS workflows.

Conclusions:

• The segmented intraoral scanning workflow, particularly with a palatal marker, offers an accessible and accurate method for complete-arch implant impressions.
• Digital impression techniques, especially when segmented, show promise for enhancing precision in complex implant cases.
• Further research may explore optimizing segmentation strategies for various clinical scenarios.