Accuracy of Additively Manufactured Dental Casts Compared with That of Virtual Scan Data Obtained with an Intraoral Scanner: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the time-related accuracy of additively manufactured dental casts and to compare it with scan data obtained with an intraoral scanner in vitro. Twenty-eight markers were attached to a set of dentiforms as reference model, and the distances between the markers were measured using a digital caliper. An intraoral scanner was used to obtain the virtual scan data of the reference model with a total of 30 scans per arch. The distances between markers were measured using a three-dimensional inspection software for all scans (group IOS). Scan data were additively manufactured using a 3D printer, and the distances between markers were measured as in the reference model immediately after post-polymerization (group PPIA), 1 day (group PP1D), 7 days (group PP7D), and 30 days after post-polymerization (group PP30D). The linear deviation in group IOS was 199.74 ± 11.14 μm, PPIA was 242.88 ± 49 μm, PP1D was 259.9 ± 42.59 μm, PP7D was 289.82 ± 39.74 μm, and PP30D was 315.8 ± 33.28 μm, in comparison with the reference model, with significant differences among all groups (all p < 0.05). When additively manufacturing casts from scan data to verify the quality of dental prostheses designed virtually, the prostheses should be adapted to casts manufactured within one week.

Keywords

• accuracy
• additive manufacturing
• cast-free digital workflow
• direct digitization
• postpolymerization