Evaluation of the accuracy, occlusal contact and clinical applications of zirconia crowns using artificial intelligence design versus human design.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The uniqueness of human teeth necessitated that dental restorations be customized primarily through extensive manual labor. Therefore, this study explored the potential of AI designed dental restorations for clinical applications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Digital artificial design and AI design crown restorations were replicated 10 times, for a total of 20 samples. The zirconia crown restoration was completed by strengthening and glazing according to standard clinical procedures. Samples were digitally archived using a dental scanner to assess reproducibility, precision, and occlusion. The human trial portion included natural tooth preparations by clinical standards. Three participants each designed two crowns, resulting in a total of six crowns. Dental x-rays were used for image evaluation.

RESULTS

The 3D accuracy showed that stereolithography (STL) and scan files of the AI design group were 3.4 and 6.6 times lower than the digital group, respectively ( < 0.05). The space of the occlusal surface of the AI-designed crown was 1.8-times higher than that of the digital design ( < 0.05). Intraoral optical images demonstrated that the AI designed crown closely resembled the human-designed counterpart in appearance. Comparison of color distribution showed more differences on the buccal and lingual sides between the two design patterns.

CONCLUSION

Clinical images indicate that the shape, precision, and space of AI designed crowns are comparable to those of digitally designed crowns. Despite the spatial differences in contact between AI designed and digitally designed crowns, the in vivo and in vitro test results demonstrated favorable realism and contact quality.