Comparative Evaluation of Accuracy of Intraoral Scanners vs Conventional Method in Establishing Dental Measurements in Mixed Dentition

Abstract

Introduction: With the ongoing development of digital procedures, intraoral scanning devices, and associated workflows are conquering dental practice. The intraoral scan and its digital models (DM) are being considered as a replacement for conventional impressions in pedodontics because of several potential advantages in hygienic handling, the comfort of treatment, transferring of data, analyzing and storing diagnostic models, and manufacturing orthodontic appliances. Material and methods: A total of 22 children of age 5–11 years were divided into two groups; stone model (SM) (group I; n = 22) and DM (group II; n = 22). Two trained examiners recorded the following parameters of intercanine width, intermolar width, arch perimeter, and arch length on both stone and DMs. Results: The present study was carried out to check the accuracy of intraoral scanners in establishing dental measurements in mixed dentition. DMs had a significantly higher intermolar width, while the differences between other parameters were found to be nonsignificant (p < 0.05). Also, SMs showed a lower arch perimeter value (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Intraoral scanners constitute a paradigm change in the evolution of digital dentistry as an effective tool for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Additionally, intraoral scans have clinically acceptable accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of the tooth measurements and can be a viable alternative to SMs and calipers for dental arch analysis.