Clinical aspects of digital three-dimensional intraoral scanning in orthodontics – A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to investigate the accuracy, reproducibility, scanning time, patient comfort, and operator experience of various commercially available intraoral scanners (IOS) in orthodontics. METHODS: An elaborate and extensive search of literature in the PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central databases was performed using various relevant keywords. RESULTS: A total of 3256 articles were obtained from all the databases, 35 studies were included. The accuracy of IOS was controversial compared to that of conventional impression techniques. Digital scanning demonstrated satisfactory to excellent reproducibility, shorter scanning time, and improved patient comfort compared with conventional techniques. CONCLUSION: IOS are time-efficient, comfortable for patients, and simple to use with a learning curve for the operator. These methods are sufficiently accurate for treatment planning and aligner fabrication in orthodontics.