Purpose The variation in findings with regards to the accuracy and precision of intraoral scanners for shade selection are no doubt confusing for clinicians who may find it difficult to make evidence‐based decisions. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive and in‐depth assessment of available studies to determine the viability of using intraoral scanners for the purpose of shade matching. The PICO‐guided research question is as follows: when shade matching, are intraoral scanners as valid as visual or other digital shade measuring devices in determining tooth colors. Methods Electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, Cochrane, and ProQuest were systematically searched for articles published between January 1, 2011 and December 30, 2021 using the main search terms: “intraoral scanners,” “scanners,” “TRIOS,” “CEREC,” “Planmeca,” “Medit,” “digital dentistry” in concurrence with one of the following keywords: “EasyShade” OR “shade selection” OR “shade matching” OR “shade” OR “tooth color” OR “tooth shade” OR “digital shade matching.” Bibliographies of included articles and the following journals were searched for relevant articles: Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Journal of Prosthodontics, Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics, and Journal of Dentistry. A total of 15 articles were included in the review. Results Intraoral scanners are highly repeatable for shade matching, and outperformed visual shade matching. Accuracy varied significantly between studies, with the majority recommending the use of visual shade matching to confirm/verify the intraoral scanner results. Setting intraoral scanners to the Vita 3D Master shade guide improved both accuracy and precision. Shade matching with intraoral scanners may be influenced by external factors such as ambient light sources and incorrect use or manipulation. Conclusion Intraoral scanners set to the Vita 3D Master shade guide may be used for shade matching, but shade should be verified with visual shade matching. Further studies are required to address limitations of current studies.

The accuracy with which virtual articulators are able to simulate centric and eccentric movements when fabricating definitive restorations has not yet been proven to be on par with mechanical articulators which have been reliably used in restorative dentistry for decades. This may be an issue when working on complex restorative cases utilizing a digital workflow and could result in considerable chairside adjustment time and subsequent loss of occlusal anatomy and morphology. Interchanging between digital and analog workflows is a challenge as accurate cross-mounting is difficult due to the changes that occur as the digital and analog workflows progress. This technique article provides a method for the fabrication of simple digital mounting jigs that enable clinicians and laboratory technicians to mount printed digital wax-ups and working casts back onto a programmed mechanical articulator, opposing diagnostic casts that have originally been mounted by means of a facebow transfer. This allows for the positioning of printed digital wax-ups and working casts to be in the correct 3-dimensional spatial relationship on the mechanical articulator for any necessary occlusal adjustments of the digitally designed wax-ups and/or definitive restorations before they are moved chairside.