An accurate and efficient method for occlusal tooth wear assessment using 3D digital dental models

Abstract

Tooth or material wear in a dentition is a common finding that requires timely diagnosis for management and prevention of further loss or associated esthetic or functional impairment. Various qualitative and quantitative methods have been suggested to measure tooth or material wear, but they present with limitations, such as imprecision, subjectivity, or high complexity. Here we developed and assessed an efficient 3D superimposition method to accurately measure occlusal tooth wear on 3D digital dental models. For this purpose, teeth on plaster casts were manually grinded on their occlusal surfaces to simulate various degrees of tooth wear. The casts were scanned using a surface scanner. Grinded tooth crowns (T1) were segmented and compared to the original crowns (T0) using five 3D surface superimposition techniques and a gold standard technique (GS). GS measurements were obtained by using intact adjacent structures as superimposition references. The technique of choice (complete crown with 30% estimated overlap of meshes) showed the best reproducibility (maximum difference < 0.050 mm3) and excellent agreement with the GS technique (median difference: 0.032 mm3). The suggested 3D superimposition method offers a highly efficient and accurate tool for tooth wear assessment, which could be applicable to clinical conditions.

Valid 3D Surface Superimposition References to Assess Facial Changes During Growth

“…In line with previous research ndings testing the application of surface-based superimposition techniques in neighboring areas 10,36 , the present study concluded that the selection of the reference area considerably affects the outcomes. We showed that even small differences in the superimposition reference areas may have considerable effects.…”

“…It should be noted that reproducibility in this study involved superimposition reference area selection, measurement area selection, and segmentation error. According to previous studies, without the last three sources of error, the reproducibility of the surface superimposition methods would have been perfect 3,10,18,[24][25][26]36 . When 3D photos are used instead of CBCT derived facial surface models, there is no segmentation error, though this is of limited extent 18 .…”

“…Three dimensional surface imaging techniques have greatly expanded the possibilities for accurate, easily acquired, and risk free 3D facial imaging. The superimposition of serial 3D images consists a valuable tool for the evaluation of individual facial changes over time 3,4,8,36 . Among others, this facilitates treatment decision-making and prediction of outcomes for ongoing or future interventions.…”

Valid 3D surface superimposition references to assess facial changes during growth

“…Three dimensional surface imaging techniques have greatly expanded the possibilities for accurate, easily acquired, and risk free 3D facial imaging. The superimposition of serial 3D images consists a valuable tool for the evaluation of individual facial changes over time 4 , 5 , 9 , 38 . Among others, this facilitates treatment decision-making and prediction of outcomes for ongoing or future interventions.…”

Reliability of qualitative occlusal tooth wear evaluation using an intraoral scanner: A pilot study

“…The study tests the use of an intraoral scanner, which is a relatively new, but very powerful tool, added to the contemporary armamentarium of dental practitioners. Intraoral scans offer great possibilities for very accurate tooth wear assessment using 3D superimposition techniques [ 47 ].…”