Accuracy and feasibility of three dimensional maxillodental model construction by cone-beam computed tomography and structured light scanning

Objective To analyze the accuracy and feasibility of model construction by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and structured light scanning. Methods CBCT, plaster and structured light-scanned model data of maxillary and mandibular dental in 20 patients admitted to orthodontic department of No.202 of PLA were collected, and three dimensional models were obtained by CBCT and structured light-scanned data after the calculation and reconstruction of reverse engineering software. Respectively marked anatomical points on three models and measurements of distance between these points were recorded. ANOVA was adopted to analyze differences among these measurements. Customed lingual brackets were designed and printed by computer aided design (CAD) and the statistical difference between digital and noumenal model was analyzed. Whether the digital model fitted for the noumenal bracket model was also tested. Results Three dimensional models created by CBCT or structured light-scanned were established and marked. There was significant difference in height of canine between CBCT models and plasters models (P＜ 0.05), and no significant difference was found between measurements of structured light-scanned models and plasters models (P＞ 0.05). There were no significant differences in digital and noumenal model of customed lingual brackets based on CBCT model or structured light-scanned model (P＞ 0.05), and both of them fitted for lingual side of dental plaster well. Conclusion Both CBCT models and structured light-scanned models can meet the requirements of clinical application. The results show that structured lightscanned models are highly accurate when compared with CBCT scans, which is an optimal method for clinicians to choose.