Reliability of a 3D surface laser scanner for orthodontic applications

A device for recreating three-dimensional (3D) objects on a computer is the surface laser scanner. By triangulating distances between the reflecting laser beam and the scanned surface, the surface laser scanner can detect not only an object's length and width but also its depth. The scanner's ease of use has opened various possibilities in laboratory research and clinical investigation. We assessed the reliability of generating 3D object reconstructions using the Minolta Vivid700 3D surface laser scanner (Minolta USA, Ramsey, NJ). Accuracy and reproducibility were tested on a geometrical calibrated cylinder, a dental study model, and a plaster facial model. Tests were conducted at varying distances between the object and the scanner. It was found that (1) in the calibrated cylinder tests, spatial distance measurement was accurate to 0.5 mm (+/-0.1 mm) in the vertical dimension and 0.3 mm (+/-0.3 mm) in the horizontal dimension; (2) in the study model test, molar width was accurate to 0.2 mm (+/- 0.1 mm, P >.05), and palatal vault depth could be measured to 0.7 mm (+/-0.2 mm, P > 0.05); and (3) for the facial model, an accuracy of 1.9 +/- 0.8 mm was obtained. The findings suggest that the surface laser scanner has great research potential because of its accuracy and ease of use. Treatment changes, growth, surgical simulations, and many other orthodontic applications can be approached 3-dimensionally with this device.