The effects of orthodontic brackets on the time and accuracy of digital impression taking

Background: The aim of the study was to study how the presence or the type of the orthodontic brackets influence the time measurement and accuracy of impressions using a digital oral scanner. Methods: The same models were divided into the control group (the model without a bracket), MB group (the model with a metal bracket), and CB group (the model with a monocrystalline bracket). Subsequently, scanning was conducted five times for each model using the Trios Pod 2®. Simultaneously, the duration for taking the digital impression was measured. The degree of accuracy was compared among the three groups. Results: As compared with the control group, scanning took 53.3 s longer in the MB group and 194.23 s longer in the CB group. In the canine and the first molar, the mean values of errors were compared between the left and right sides; in both the canine and the first molar, errors between the control group and the CB group were the greatest. Conclusions: Following a comparison of the duration and accuracy of the impressions between the three groups, our results suggest that its degree was the highest in the CB group where a monocrystalline bracket was attached.