Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess the first-time performance of senior and junior professionals in executing linear measurements on digital and 3D-printed dental casts with different dental arrangements - crowding, diastema, and inclined molars. Methods: From patients with crowding, diastema, and inclined molars, fifteen digital casts were obtained with intraoral scanning and subsequently 3D-printed with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Digital Light Processing (DLP) technologies. Ten juniors (5–10 years post-graduation) and ten senior professionals (10–45 years post-graduation) performed linear measurements on the digital and 3D-printed casts. A dental stone cast was used as reference. Trueness and the time taken to analyze these casts were assessed. Data analysis used two-way ANOVA and the Tukey post-hoc test (p > 0.05) for comparing professional experience in each dental arch condition and cast type. Results: No significant differences in trueness across professional experience were found, regardless of dental arrangement and cast types. Time spent was also similar across groups. For 3D-printed casts, seniors averaged 82 s, while juniors took 64 s. On digital casts seniors spent 134 and juniors 80 s. Conclusions: The performance (trueness and time) of senior and junior professionals using the digital tools proposed in this study was similar. Clinical relevance: In recent years, the traditional dentistry workflow has increasingly been supplanted by digital technologies, a shift that impacts both seniors and juniors professionals. Recognizing and addressing the existing barriers is essential to facilitate a smooth, inclusive transition to digital dentistry for all practitioners.