A clinical study comparing digital scanning and conventional impression making for implant-supported prostheses: A crossover clinical trial

Abstract

Statement of problem: The impact of discrepancies between casts produced from digital scans and conventional impressions on the clinical performance of definitive restorations has not been fully investigated. Purpose: The purpose of this crossover clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical performance of single implant-supported restorations fabricated with the digital scanning technique and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) casts compared with the conventional impression technique and gypsum casts in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and participant preference. Material and methods: Thirty participants underwent conventional impressions and digital scans of a single implant-supported restoration. Two crowns were fabricated for the same implant with each technique. The time taken for each procedure was recorded. After the accuracy and efficiency analysis of both crowns, the better crown was delivered. A questionnaire was used to assess participant preference and comfort with the techniques. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the time measurements, and multiple comparisons were performed using the Bonferroni method. The chi-square test was used to compare the implant locations of delivered crowns (α=.05). Results: The total time for the conventional impression technique was 14.16 minutes, while that for the digital scanning technique was significantly less at 11.28 minutes (P