Redefining Digital Precision: How Scanning Technique Shapes the Quality of Intraoral Impressions

Abstract

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Digital dentistry increasingly relies on intraoral scanners to capture full-arch impressions, yet the influence of scanning technique on the accuracy and efficiency of digital models remains insufficiently clarified. This study compared several scanning strategies—varying in segmentation and scanner motion patterns—to determine which protocols yield the highest precision and operational efficiency. Methods: Ten participants underwent full-arch intraoral scanning using seven techniques that combined different segment divisions (one, two, or three segments) with motion types (linear, zig-zag, or combined). Accuracy was assessed by superimposing STL files of each scan onto a reference model using CloudCompare and calculating point-to-point 3D deviations. Efficiency was evaluated based on the number of digital images generated and the total scanning time measured by software and a stopwatch. Results: For the maxillary arch, the most accurate technique was a single-segment zig-zag scan; for mandibular arch accuracy, it was a two-segment linear approach. The motion that produced the shortest scanning time was zig-zag, while that which required the least number of digital records was the two-segment linear scan. Combined-motion and three-segment strategies had the lowest accuracy as well as efficiency. Conclusions: Scanning techniques employing single uniform motion with minimum segmentation provide the best balance between accuracy and efficiency. Over-segmentation along with combined motions reduces the quality of the scan and increases the duration for scanning, thereby emphasizing a simple yet consistent path in clinical practice.