Reverse scan body: A complete digital workflow for prosthesis prototype fabrication

PurposeTo assess the accuracy of fit of prosthesis prototypes fabricated via a complete digital workflow protocol with a reverse scan body skipping intraoral scanning for implant data acquisition. Materials and methodsA maxillary stone cast with four multiunit abutment implant analogs (Screw-Retained Abutments, Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland) with adequate anteroposterior spread simulated a common clinical patient situation. This stone cast served as the master cast and an interim screw-retained prosthesis was fabricated on it. Novel reverse scan bodies were connected to the interim prosthesis, and extraoral scanning was performed with a white light intraoral scanner. The produced standard tessellation language (STL) files were then imported to computer-assisted design software and after the digital design, the STL file was exported to a computer-assisted machining milling machine and a three-dimensional (3D) printer to produce a total of 50 milled and 50 printed fixed complete denture prototypes, respectively. Two clinicians assessed the accuracy of fit of each digitally fabricated prosthesis prototype on the master cast, utilizing the screw-resistance test and radiographic evaluation. Out of the 100 prototypes, 94% (94/100) were fitting accurately. Fisher's exact test was used to test the difference among the groups. The test revealed statistically significant results (p = 0.027). ResultsOut of the 50 digitally fabricated milled prosthesis prototypes, 50 (100%) presented with accurate fit under in vitro assessment. Out of the 50 digitally fabricated 3D printed prototypes, 44 (88%) presented with accurate fit under in vitro assessment. ConclusionsAccurately fitting digitally fabricated prosthesis prototypes can be milled after extraoral scanning with reverse scan bodies without intraoral implant data acquisition.