Use of intraoral scanning device for the impression of post space: an in-vitro study

Objective: The objective of this in vitro study was to compare precision of impressions of post space preparations obtained from conventional and digital systems. Material and Methods: Twenty-four decoronated and endodontically treated maxillary central incisors were used for the study (n=12). Samples were embedded into acrylic resin molds and randomly divided into two groups. Impressions for post-space were obtained using two systems; group D (digital group), group C (conventional group). Digital impressions were obtained with an intraoral scanner and developed with the software of the system for measurements. Conventional impressions were obtained with silicone material. Statistical analyzes were performed with One-way Anova and paired-samples t-tests (α: .05). Results: Precision values were not statistically significantly influenced by the impression method in total discrepancy comparisons. Intraoral scanner group demonstrated similar depth, diameter, and surface values for the post space to conventional impression group. There was no statistically significant difference for precision values with respect to the groups (p>.001). Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, impressions for post restorations obtained with digital workflow and conventional technique showed similar precision results.