Accuracy Analysis of Digital Models from Intraoral Scanners and 3D-Printed Casts in Children and Teenagers.

Purpose: The aim was to analyze the accuracy of digital models and 3D-printed casts from full-arch digital impressions using two intraoral scanners (iTero ^TM and Primescan ^TM ).
Materials and Methods: A crossover reliability study was designed, scanning children and teenagers with iTero ^TM and Primescan ^TM . Accuracy was evaluated by measuring intercanine, intermolar, and ipsilateral canine-molar distances intraorally and comparing these measurements with those from plaster casts, digital models obtained with intraoral scanners, and 3D-printed casts. A paired comparison and a general linear model with a one-way repeated measures ANOVA procedure were carried out with a confidence level of 95% ( p ≤ 0.05).
Results: A total of 51 subjects were analyzed (mean age 12.35 ± 2.57). Statistical differences ( p < 0.05) were found in the upper and lower arch regarding accuracy in comparison to intraoral measurements, except for the iTero ^TM -printed cast and canine-molar upper right and intercanine lower distances ( p > 0.05 for all comparisons). Regarding a comparison between reproduction methods, the plaster cast oversized the intercanine upper distance in comparison with both intraoral scanners' digital models and the Primescan ^TM -printed cast ( p = 0.001), but there were no differences in the lower arch ( p > 0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusion: Intraoral scanners reproduce tooth structures with similar accuracy to conventional methods.