Precision and practical usefulness of intraoral scanners in implant dentistry: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficiency and accuracy of digital impression techniques for implant-supported restorations, and to assess their economic feasibility. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two independent electronic database searches were conducted in the Pubmed/MedLine, Cochrane Library, and Lilacs databases complimented by a manual search, selecting relevant clinical and in vitro studies published between 1st January 2009 and 28st February 2019. All type of studies (in vivo and in vitro) were included in this systematic review. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies (8 in vivo and 19 in vitro studies) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. No meta-analysis was performed due to a large heterogeneity of the study protocols. The passive fit of superstructures on dental implants presented similar results between digital and conventional impression techniques. The studies considered that several factors influence the accuracy of implant impression taking: distance and angulation between implants, depth of placement, type of scanner, scanning strategy, characteristics of scanbody, and operator experience. Regarding the economic viability of intraoral scanning systems, only one study reported any benefit in comparison with conventional techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Digital impressions of dental implants can be considered a viable alternative in cases of one or two contiguous dental implants. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the accuracy of digital techniques in full-arch implant-supported restorations. Key words:Intraoral scanner, dental implant, prosthesis, misfit, systematic review.