Study compares digital and analogue impression taking

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 19. May 2025

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THESSALONIKI, Greece: As digital workflows become increasingly prevalent in restorative dentistry, the accuracy of intra-oral scanners in capturing complex anatomical structures remains a critical factor for clinical success. In light of this, researchers from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki have recently conducted a comparative study to evaluate the performance of three intra-oral scanners and traditional analogue impressions in recording root canal anatomy for fabrication of posts using CAD/CAM. The findings underscore both the potential and current limitations of digital scanning technologies in demanding clinical scenarios.

The study assessed the performance of the CEREC Primescan, CEREC Omnicam (both Dentsply Sirona) and TRIOS 3 (3Shape) intra-oral scanners alongside conventional polyvinylsiloxane impressions. Using a dental mannequin with a standardised root canal in tooth #21, the team simulated clinical conditions and compared the surface areas captured by each method with those recorded by a high-resolution inEos X5 desktop scanner (Dentsply Sirona).

The results showed that the Primescan scanner achieved the highest accuracy among the intra-oral devices, whereas the Omnicam scanner had the lowest accuracy and smallest surface area measured, potentially indicating a less detailed scan. Notably, the analogue impression method captured the most detailed root canal anatomy; however, the researchers pointed out that irregularities and distortions in the impression material could result in an exaggerated surface area and deviate from the true canal geometry, negatively affecting the clinical fit of the post.

While the analogue impressions demonstrated superior surface area accuracy, the intra-oral scanners—particularly Primescan—offered considerable advantages in workflow efficiency and integration with CAD/CAM systems. In addition, the researchers reported that the depth of the scanned area significantly influenced the precision of the intra-oral scanners.

The study emphasises the need for continued development of digital scanning technologies to improve the ability of intra-oral scanners to accurately capture complex geometries, especially in deep root canals. The researchers concluded that integrating the precision of analogue impressions with the practical benefits of digital methods may lead to optimal clinical outcomes for custom post and core restorations.

The study, titled “Accuracy of CAD/CAM technology in fabricating custom post-and-core restorations: A comparative analysis”, was published on 12 February 2025 in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, ahead of inclusion in an issue.