title: Treatment comfort, time perception, and preference for conventional and digital impression techniques: A comparative study in young patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this crossover study was to assess perceptions and preferences for impression techniques in young orthodontic patients receiving alginate and 2 different digital impressions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight subjects aged 10 to 17 years requiring impressions for orthodontic treatment were randomly allocated to 3 groups that differed in the order that an alginate impressions and 2 different intraoral scanning procedures were administered. After each procedure, the patients were asked to score their perceptions on a 5-point Likert scale for gag reflex, queasiness, difficulty to breathe, uncomfortable feeling, perception of the scanning time, state of anxiety, and use of a powder, and to select the preferred impression system. Chairside time and maximal mouth opening were also registered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More queasiness (P = 0.00) and discomfort (P = 0.02) during alginate impression taking of the maxilla were perceived compared with the scans with the CEREC Omnicam (Sirona Dental Systems, Bensheim, Germany). There were no significant differences in perceptions between the alginate impressions and the Lava C.O.S. (3M ESPE, St Paul, Minn) and between the 2 scanners. Chairside times for the alginate impressions (9.7 ± 1.8 minutes) and the CEREC Omnicam (10.7 ± 1.8 minutes) were significantly lower (P <0.001) than for the Lava C.O.S. (17.8 ± 4.0 minutes). Digital impressions were favored by 51% of the subjects, whereas 29% chose alginate impressions, and 20% had no preference. Regardless of the significant differences in the registered times among the 3 impression-taking methods, the distributions of the Likert scores of time perception and maximal mouth opening were similar in all 3 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young orthodontic patients preferred the digital impression techniques over the alginate method, although alginate impressions required the shortest chairside time.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate student, Department of Orthodontics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burhardt
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Livas
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor, Department of Public and Individual Oral Health, Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kerdijk
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wicher Joerd
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.affiliation: Professor and chair, Department of Orthodontics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: y.ren@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Yijin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000464:Alginates; D002648:Child; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003760:Dental Impression Materials; D003761:Dental Impression Technique; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D003765:Models, Dental; D009970:Orthodontics; D057240:Patient Preference; D013998:Time Perception
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D003760:Dental Impression Materials