In Vitro Evaluation of Ambient Lighting Effects on Intraoral Scanner Accuracy for Maxillary and Mandibular Arches

PURPOSE: The effect of ambient lighting on intraoral scanner accuracy has mostly been evaluated for single-arch scans, leaving limited evidence regarding its comparative influence on maxillary and mandibular arches. The purpose of this study was to compare intraoral scanner accuracy for maxillary and mandibular arches under varying ambient lighting conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A maxillary and a mandibular typodont model was digitized using a laboratory scanner (3Shape E4) to obtain reference STL files. Two different intraoral scanners (iTero Element 5D and TRIOS 3) were evaluated under five different lighting conditions: zero light, daylight, room light, low intensity chair light and high intensity chair light. 10 digital scans per each group and a total of 200 scans were performed (n=10). The digital scans and the reference STL files were superimposed using Geomagic Design X software to analyze accuracy. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found among scanners, arches, and ambient lighting conditions (p