A Comparison of the Accuracy Between a Digital Fabrication Workflow and a Conventional Fabrication Workflow for Occlusal Appliances: A Pilot Study

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of occlusal stabilization appliances fabricated by digital workflows to those fabricated by conventional workflows. Materials and Methods: In total, 10 volunteers were recruited in this single-blinded crossover study. All volunteers received two types of occlusal stabilization appliances: a digital additively manufactured stabilization splint (DS) and a conventionally fabricated splint (CS). The accuracy was assessed using a 4-point rating scale addressing two aspects of the occlusal appliances: occlusal contact and basic performance. In addition, silicone impression materials were used to assess the gap between the appliance and the maxillary arch to ensure an accurate fit. Differences were quantitatively assessed with Mann-Whitney U test and independent-sample ttest. Results: The occlusal contact rating of DS (15.90 +/- 1.73) was significantly higher than that of CS (14.10 +/- 1.10, P < .05). The basic performance rating of DS (8.70 +/- 0.48) was also significantly higher than that of CS (7.20 +/- 0.92. P < .05). Quantitative evaluation of fit accuracy revealed a statistically significant difference (P< .05), with DS (636.29 +/- 268.51 pm) being superior to CS (704.2 +/- 306.05 pm). Conclusion: The stabilization splints fabricated with a digital workflow showed better accuracy than the conventionally fabricated splints in terms of occlusal contact, basic performance, and fit accuracy. Because this is a pilot study, formal trials with a completely digital fabrication workflow will be conducted in the future.