Conventional vs. Digital Impression: Comfort Level, Preferences, and Acceptance of Treatment Time among Orthodontic Patients

The escalated technological development and the emergence of computer-aided manufacturing have improved dental restoration accuracy and the accurate manufacturing of prosthetic models.

The study aims to assess patients' comfort level, preferences, and acceptance of treatment time for conventional impression technique vs. digital impression among orthodontic patients treated with clear aligners.

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted between February 2019 and April 2019 by recruiting 50 patients from the orthodontic clinics at multiple centers. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to evaluate patients' perceptions in each impression technique group. Descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test were applied with statistical significance set at P<0.05.

The results showed that the impression technique bothered patients as they experienced helplessness during treatment. There was a significant impact on patients' perception of the treatment, whereas there was an insignificant association between comfort level and treatment of the patients.

The technicalities of conventional impression were not applied to the intraoral scanners, making these scanners superior and more user-friendly. Digital impression techniques were also preferred by the participants regarding their time, taste/smell, and sensitivity.