Does the palatal vault form have an influence on the scan time and accuracy of intraoral scans of completely edentulous arches? An in-vitro study

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of different palatal vault configurations on the accuracy and scan speed of intraoral scans (IO) of completely edentulous arches. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Three different virtual models of a completely edentulous maxillary arch with different palatal vault heights- Cl I moderate (U-shaped), Cl II deep (steep) and Cl III shallow (flat)-were digitally designed using CAD software (Meshmixer; Autodesk, USA) and 3D-printed using SLA-based 3D-printer (XFAB; DWS, Italy) (n = 30; 10 specimens per group). Each model was scanned using intraoral scanner (Trios 3; 3Shape^TM, Denmark). Scanning time was recorded for all samples. Scanning accuracy (trueness and precision) were evaluated using digital subtraction technique using Geomagic Control X v2020 (Geomagic; 3DSystems, USA). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to detect differences in scanning time, trueness and precision among the test groups. Statistical significance was set at α = .05. RESULTS. The scan process could not be completed for Class II group and manufacturer's recommended technique had to be modified. ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference in trueness and precision values among the test groups (P=.959 and P=.658, respectively). Deep palatal vault (Cl II) showed significantly longer scan time compared to Cl I and III. CONCLUSION. The selection of scan protocol in complex cases such as deep palatal vault is of utmost importance. The modified, adopted longer path scan protocol of deep vault cases resulted in increased scan time when compared to the other two groups.