Clinical Factors Influence the Trueness of Intra-oral Scanning

Aims: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of adjacent teeth in the trueness of digital impressions.

Materials and methods: In this study the first premolar on a typodont mounted in a phantom head was prepared for an all ceramic crown. Three different operators scanned the tooth with an intraoral scanner, with three different clinical scenarios: with no adjacent teeth, with one adjacent tooth and with two adjacent teeth. Resulting scans from each operator were compared with a reference scan using metrology software.

Results: The results of this in vitro study showed differences of scanning trueness between each clinical simulated situation.

Conclusions: The presence of adjacent teeth can decrease the view of interproximal surfaces and may generate a less precise scan in these regions. The results of this study showed that the trueness of an intraoral digital impression is conditioned by a good visibility of the abutment.