Intraoral scanner accuracy: The influence of manual movement?

Aim To determine the variable caused by human error during scanning to a fixed scanning distance over the dental arch using a robotic arm.

Materials and methods For this in vitro study three different groups were investigated: The investigation Group (IG) using an intraoral scanner mounted to a robotic arm, the clinical group (CG) using an experienced dental investigator and the control group (C) using a dental laboratory scanner. All scans were stored in .stl formats for further analysis. Comparison of the different scans were statistically analysed using Finale Surface Software.

Results By comparing it via best match all scans could be compared. The highest precision could be achieved using the dental laboratory scanner in control group (C). The largest deviation of accuracy distribution could be measured in the clinical group (CG).

Conclusion With the highest mean deviation in the scanning process measured by the clinical group, the distance between the scanning tip and the teeth as well as the scanning path plays a major role in the outcome accuracy of the STL model.