Validity of 3 Shape Scanner Techniques: A Comparison with the Actual Plaster Study casts

Three-dimensional scanning of the mouth is required in a large number of procedures in dentistry such as restorative dentistry and orthodontics [1,2]. The 1980s saw the introduction of the first digital intraoral scanner for dentistry by a Swiss dentist, Dr. Werner Mörmann, and an Italian electrical engineer, Marco Brandestini. Nowadays, ten intra-oral scanning devices for restorative dentistry and orthodontics have been developed, with only some being commercially available [3]. Available devices include, itero (Align Technologies, San Jose, California), LavaTMC.O.S (3M ESPE, Seefeld, Germany), Trios (3 shape, Copenhagen, Denmark), CEREC® AC (Sirona, Bensheim, Germany) and E4D (D4D Technologies, Richardson, Texas) [4]. Each of these devices has specific characteristics with the exception of the iTero and the Trios; each of the above-mentioned devices requires drying and powdering of the intraoral surfaces [5]. Furthermore, individual devices are driven by various typologies of structured light sources and optical components. The CEREC® and LavaTMC.O.S employ blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) whereas laser is used as a light source in the iTero, IOS Fast Scan and E4D devices. The Trios device, which was involved in our study, works by means of confocal microscopy, with a fast scanning time; the light source provides an illumination pattern to cause a light oscillation on the object [5]. For the dental practitioner, the potential benefits of using an intraoral scanner may include: