3D Occlusal Tooth Wear Assessment in Presence of Limited Changes in Non-Occlusal Surfaces

The study aimed to develop an accurate and convenient 3D occlusal tooth wear assessment technique, applicable when surfaces other than the occlusal undergo changes during the observation period. Various degrees of occlusal tooth wear were simulated in vitro on 18 molar and 18 premolar plaster teeth. Additionally, their buccal and lingual surfaces were gently grinded to induce superficial changes and digital dental models were generated. The grinded and the original tooth crowns were superimposed using six different 3D techniques (two reference areas with varying settings; gold standard: GS). Superimposition on intact structures provided the GS measurements. Tooth wear volume comprised the primary outcome measure. All techniques differed significantly to each other in their accuracy (p < 0.001). The technique of choice (CCD: complete crown with 30% estimated overlap of meshes) showed excellent agreement with the GS technique (median difference: 0.045, max: 0.219 mm(3)), no systematic error and sufficient reproducibility (max difference < 0.040 mm(3)). Tooth type, tooth alignment in the dental arches, and amount of tooth wear did not significantly affect the results of the CCD technique (p > 0.01). The suggested occlusal tooth wear assessment technique is straightforward and offers accurate outcomes when limited morphological changes occur on surfaces other than the occlusal.