Unified protocol to evaluate intraoral scanner resolution, trueness and precision: the RTP-protocol

Over the past decade, studies published on the evaluation of intraoral scanners (IOSs) have mainly considered two parameters, precision and trueness, to determine accuracy. The third parameter, resolution, not much studied, seems essential for an application in dentistry. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study is to create an original method – a Resolution-Trueness- Precision (RTP) protocol to evaluate these three main parameters – resolution trueness and precision – at the same time. Material and Method: A ceramic tip with particular and calibrated dimensions is determined as the reference object and its mesh recorded with a scanning microtomograph, and compared with the one extracted to the IOS. It is the particular geometric shape of the object that will make it possible to simultaneously assess: resolution, trueness and precision. Results: The results have shown a mean resolution of 79.2 μm, a mean for trueness of 17.5 and a mean for precision of 12.3 μm. These values are close to previous results published for this camera. So, the RTP protocol is the first including the three parameters at the same time. Simple, fast and precise, its application can be useful for comparisons between IOSs within research laboratories or test organizations. Finally, this study could be a first step to create a reference kit for practitioners allowing them to control the quality of their IOS over time.