Special Issue "Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment"

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Dentistry and Oral Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2023 | Viewed by 10242

Special Issue Editors

Department of Dental Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Interests: digital dentistry; oral implantology; bone imaging
Faculdade de Odontologia, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
Interests: dental radiology
Prof. Dr. Guillermo Pradies
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dept. Buccofacial Prostheses, Univ. Complutense Madrid, Plaza Ramon & Cajal S-N, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: odontología

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of digital technologies in dentistry has led to shorter treatment times and higher predictability of treatment outcomes. Among the most important technologies used in digital workflows in dentistry is computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM). Scientific evidence has been consecutively presented, showing the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) images not only for diagnosis but also for treatment planning. Current cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners can offer higher contrast and spatial resolution for bone images, as well as lower radiation doses than before. Similarly, intraoral scanners have been validated to perform digital impressions, which can replace the conventional impressions usually performed with a series of impression materials. The integration of these 3D images enables the creation of a virtual patient, enhancing the multidisciplinary treatment plan.

Prof. Dr. Arthur R. G. Cortes
Prof. Dr. Claudio Costa
Prof. Dr. Guillermo Pradies
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • computer-aided design
  • computer-aided manufacturing
  • CAD-CAM
  • cone beam computed tomography
  • digital workflow
  • image-guided surgery

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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Editorial
Digital versus Conventional Workflow in Oral Rehabilitations: Current Status
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 3710; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083710 - 07 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1642
Abstract
In recent years, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology has developed along with its applications in dentistry, including several new techniques that are used in oral rehabilitation applications [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)

Research

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Article
Patient Satisfaction with Anterior Interim CAD-CAM Rehabilitations Designed by CAD Technician versus Trained Dentist—A Clinical Preliminary Study
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(14), 8243; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13148243 - 16 Jul 2023
Viewed by 440
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of digital waxing expertise on patient satisfaction with anterior interim computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) prosthetic rehabilitations designed either by a CAD and dental technician or by a dental clinician with basic [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of digital waxing expertise on patient satisfaction with anterior interim computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) prosthetic rehabilitations designed either by a CAD and dental technician or by a dental clinician with basic CAD-CAM training. This in vivo preliminary study was conducted on a total of 18 patients receiving anterior CAD-CAM rehabilitations (at least from canine to canine) with fixed bridges and/or single crowns. Only patients that had conventional chairside temporary restorations were enrolled. Three within-patient groups were defined at different time points: group CONTROL refers to all 18 patients at their first appointment, when they were using their initial temporary conventional prostheses; group DENT refers to all patients immediately after trying in a set of CAD-CAM prostheses designed by a dental clinician (with basic one-week CAD-CAM training); and group CAD refers to all patients after trying in a set of CAD-CAM prostheses for the same tooth elements but designed by an experienced CAD technician (who was also an experienced dental prosthetic technician). All CAD-CAM restorations were milled in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with high translucency and strength properties (Prime, Zirkonzahn). Satisfaction with comfort and esthetics was assessed for all patients for the three different time points (groups CONTROL, DENT and CAD). Statistically significant differences among groups were assessed with the Friedmann’s test. Group CAD significantly outperformed the other groups in both assessed variables (p = 0.001). The group DENT, in turn, outperformed group CONTROL for satisfaction with esthetics (p = 0.006) but not for comfort (p > 0.05). In conclusion, CAD operator background and expertise level significantly affect patient self-reported outcomes for anterior CAD-CAM rehabilitations. Single crowns and fixed bridges digitally designed by an experienced professional trained in both CAD-CAM and dental technology will likely offer high satisfaction and comfort to patients receiving anterior prosthetic rehabilitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Article
Detection of Periapical Lesions on Panoramic Radiographs Using Deep Learning
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1516; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031516 - 24 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1832
Abstract
Dentists could fail to notice periapical lesions (PLs) while examining panoramic radiographs. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) designed to address this problem. Materials and methods: a total of 18618 periapical root areas (PRA) on 713 panoramic radiographs were [...] Read more.
Dentists could fail to notice periapical lesions (PLs) while examining panoramic radiographs. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) designed to address this problem. Materials and methods: a total of 18618 periapical root areas (PRA) on 713 panoramic radiographs were annotated and classified as having or not having PLs. An AI model consisting of two convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a detector and a classifier, was trained on the images. The detector localized PRAs using a bounding-box-based object detection model, while the classifier classified the extracted PRAs as PL or not-PL using a fine-tuned CNN. The classifier was trained and validated on a balanced subset of the original dataset that included 3249 PRAs, and tested on 707 PRAs. Results: the detector achieved an average precision of 74.95%, while the classifier accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 84%, 81% and 86%, respectively. When integrating both detection and classification models, the proposed method accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 84.6%, 72.2%, and 85.6%, respectively. Conclusion: a two-stage CNN model consisting of a detector and a classifier can successfully detect periapical lesions on panoramic radiographs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Article
Accuracy Comparison among 3D-Printing Technologies to Produce Dental Models
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(17), 8425; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12178425 - 24 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Background: Little is known on accuracy comparisons among 3D-printing trueness and precision to produce dental models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of different 3D-printing technologies (SLA; DLP; LCD poly and monochromatic; and Polyjet). Methods: Fifteen models were manufactured [...] Read more.
Background: Little is known on accuracy comparisons among 3D-printing trueness and precision to produce dental models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of different 3D-printing technologies (SLA; DLP; LCD poly and monochromatic; and Polyjet). Methods: Fifteen models were manufactured by the five different 3D printers used in this study. The manufactured models were physically measured in the corresponding lengths for trueness and reproducibility. Means and standard deviations were obtained for the five computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) methods and compared. Results: No significant difference was found in the comparison between observers in all measurements performed with the different model algorithms. Pairwise Wilcoxon non-parametric test comparisons of trueness between 3D-printers revealed statistically significant differences between Stratasys versus Anycubic (p = 0.025) and Anycubic versus Form 2 (p = 0.048). Conclusion: The present findings suggest that the 3D-printing methods may have small significant discrepancies when compared to the original digital files, which may not be clinically relevant. In addition, there were no significant discrepancies among median measurements of each printing method (within 3D-printer analysis), which suggests that, for dental casts, all of the studied devices performed similarly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Article
Dimensional Changes in Extraction Sockets: A Pilot Study Evaluating Differences between Digital and Conventional Impressions
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(15), 7662; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157662 - 29 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1660
Abstract
Traditionally, soft tissue records are obtained by dental impression using impression materials; however, accurately recording the soft tissue immediately after tooth extraction is difficult. We measured the tissue changes after tooth extraction and compared two impression modalities (digital versus conventional) by measuring the [...] Read more.
Traditionally, soft tissue records are obtained by dental impression using impression materials; however, accurately recording the soft tissue immediately after tooth extraction is difficult. We measured the tissue changes after tooth extraction and compared two impression modalities (digital versus conventional) by measuring the changes at the soft tissue level. In this case, 15 patients with 17 single extraction sites were enrolled. Conventional impression (CI) using vinyl polysiloxane material and digital impression (DI) using an intraoral scanner were prepared immediately after extraction (T0) and at 2 months post-extraction (T1). Standard tessellation language files were generated for superimposition of the tissue surface. The tissue changes and discrepancies were measured on the superimposed surfaces. The differences in the changes and the discrepancy between the tissue surface impression at each time point were compared. At all measuring levels, the total tissue change was significantly different between groups DI and CI (p < 0.05). DI exhibited a more pronounced tissue surface at both time points, and the total discrepancy was statistically significantly greater at T0 than at T1 (p < 0.05). The values from DI and CI demonstrated small but significantly different for the same study material. The interpretation of such differences may depend on the clinical situation or scientific value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Article
Three-Dimensional Distance Mapping Method to Evaluate Mandibular Symmetry and Morphology of Adults with Unilateral Premolar Scissors Bite
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 5814; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12125814 - 08 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1023
Abstract
(1) Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between unilateral premolar scissors bite and mandibular symmetry of adults via the 3D distance mapping method. (2) Methods: A total of 53 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of adults with unilateral premolar scissors bite [...] Read more.
(1) Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between unilateral premolar scissors bite and mandibular symmetry of adults via the 3D distance mapping method. (2) Methods: A total of 53 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of adults with unilateral premolar scissors bite were set as study samples. A total of 53 age- and sex-matched samples without scissors bite were in the control group. Three-dimensional mandibular models and seven mandibular functional units, including condylar process (Co), coronoid process (Cr), mandibular ramus (Ra), mandibular angle (Ma), alveolar process (Ap), mandibular body (Mb), and chin process (Ch) were constructed and mirrored. After superimposition of the original and the mirrored models, 3D distance maps and deviation analysis were performed to evaluate the mandibular symmetry and morphology. (3) Results: In the study group, the matching percentages of the entire mandible (50.79 ± 10.38%), Ap (67.00 ± 12.68%), Mb (66.62 ± 9.44%), Ra (62.52 ± 11.00%), Ch (80.75 ± 9.86%), and Co (62.78 ± 13.56) were lower than that of the entire mandible (58.60 ± 5.52) (p < 0.01), Ap (73.83 ± 8.88%) (p < 0.01), Mb (72.37 ± 8.69%) (p < 0.01), Ra (68.60 ± 7.56%) (p < 0.01), Ch (85.23 ± 6.80%) (p < 0.01), and Co (67.58 ± 10.32%) (p < 0.05) in the control group. However, Cr and Ma showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The 3D distance mapping method provided a qualitative and quantitative mandibular symmetry and morphology assessment. Mandibular asymmetry was found in adults with unilateral premolar scissors bites. Mandibular functional units, including the alveolar process, mandibular body, mandibular ramus, chin process, and condylar process, showed significant differences, while no significant difference was observed in the coronoid process and mandibular angle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Review

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Review
Factors Affecting Trueness of Intraoral Scans: An Update
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(13), 6675; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136675 - 01 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 866
Abstract
Background: Intraoral scanning (IOS) technologies have been constantly developed and improved. This systematic review aimed at assessing studies in the recent literature describing factors that influence the trueness of intraoral scans. Methods: Comparative in vitro and in vivo (i.e., interventional and observational) studies [...] Read more.
Background: Intraoral scanning (IOS) technologies have been constantly developed and improved. This systematic review aimed at assessing studies in the recent literature describing factors that influence the trueness of intraoral scans. Methods: Comparative in vitro and in vivo (i.e., interventional and observational) studies that quantitatively assessed the trueness of intraoral scans and that identified factors significantly affecting IOS trueness values were considered eligible for inclusion. The PUBMED and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published in the last two years (from February 2020 to February 2022). Data assessment and extraction were performed according to the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. Results: The present search strategy yielded 13 publications. An initial screening of the publications was performed using abstracts and key words, and after application of exclusion criteria, a total of nine studies were finally identified as eligible to be discussed. Several factors significantly affecting IOS were identified. Conclusions: Studies using current IOS technologies revealed that the device, scanning distance, operator experience, rescanning and post-processing scans, conditions of the preparations and presence of adjacent teeth are factors significantly affecting IOS trueness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Dentistry: Computer-Aid Diagnosis and Treatment)
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