title: The time efficiency of intraoral scanners: an in vitro comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although intraoral scanners are known to have good accuracy in computer-aided impression making (CAIM), their effect on time efficiency is not. Little is known about the time required to make a digital impression. The purpose of the authors' in vitro investigation was to evaluate the time efficiency of intraoral scanners.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used three different intraoral scanners to digitize a single abutment (scenario 1), a short-span fixed dental prosthesis (scenario 2) and a full-arch prosthesis preparation (scenario 3). They measured the procedure durations for the several scenarios and compiled and contrasted the procedure durations for three conventional impression materials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean total procedure durations for making digital impressions of scenarios 1, 2 and 3 were as much as 5 minutes 57 seconds, 6 minutes 57 seconds, and 20 minutes 55 seconds, respectively. Results showed statistically significant differences between all scanners (P < .05), except Lava (3M ESPE, St. Paul, Minn.) and iTero with foot pedal (Align Technology, San Jose, Calif.) for scenario 1, CEREC (Sirona, Bensheim, Germany) and CEREC with foot pedal for scenario 2, and iTero and iTero with foot pedal for scenarios 2 and 3. The compiled procedure durations for making conventional impressions in scenarios 1 and 2 ranged between 18 minutes 15 seconds and 27 minutes 25 seconds; for scenario 3, they ranged between 21 minutes 25 seconds and 30 minutes 25 seconds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors found that CAIM was significantly faster for all tested scenarios. This suggests that CAIM might be beneficial in establishing a more time-efficient work flow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of the results of this in vitro study, the authors found CAIM to be superior regarding time efficiency in comparison with conventional approaches and might accelerate the work flow of making impressions.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Patzelt is a visiting research professor and the course director, Prosthetic Lecture Series and Seminar, Implant Periodontal Prosthodontics Program, Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore. He also is an assistant professor and a scientific associate, Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Address correspondence to Dr. Patzelt at Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, 650 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, Md. 21201, e-mail spatzelt@umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Sebastian B M
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Patzelt
authors.affiliation: Dr. Lamprinos is an assistant professor and a doctoral candidate, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamprinos
authors.affiliation: Dr. Stampf was a statistician, Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Center for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, when this article was written. She now is a biostatistician, Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stampf
authors.affiliation: Dr. Att is an associate professor and the director, Postgraduate Program, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wael
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Att
mesh_terms: D003761:Dental Impression Technique; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013996:Time and Motion Studies
keywords: Intraoral scanner; dental economics; dental impression technique; time efficiency