Assessment of the accuracy of tooth widths measured by the ATD software

Abstract

Abstract Background The clinical software is widely used in measuring digital models. This study assessed the precision of the ATD clinical software (Angelalign Technology) in measuring tooth widths on digital models with different degrees of crowding. Methods Twenty-eight extracted teeth were chosen, and their crown widths were measured using a caliper. The teeth were arranged on an edentulous jaw model to mimic varying degrees of crowding: mild (≤ 4 mm), moderate (5–7 mm), and severe (≥ 8 mm). The models were scanned and digitally transformed to measure the crown widths and calculate Bolton ratios. The differences between caliper and software measurements were evaluated to assess the accuracy of the ATD software. Results Measurements on digital models by the ATD software exhibited excellent consistency (ICC = 0.998, = 0.997, and = 0.978 for mild, moderate, and severe crowding groups, respectively). Significant differences were observed for tooth positions 11, 13, 14, 17, 22, 23, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 37, 42, 43, 45, 46, and 47 among the three crowding groups. There were more dental positions with high accuracy in the severe crowding group. In both maxillary and mandibular arches, the total tooth widths measured using the clinical software were larger than the actual widths. The measurement accuracy for the sum of mandibular anterior tooth widths was significantly higher in the mild crowding group compared to the moderate and severe crowding groups. Tooth width accuracy in the anterior area was significantly higher than that in the posterior area, but there were no significant differences between maxillary and mandibular teeth. The accuracy for anterior Bolton ratio was significantly higher in the severe crowding group compared to the mild crowding group. There were no significant differences in overall Bolton ratio measurements among the three groups. Conclusion Although influenced by the degree of crowding, tooth widths and anterior Bolton ratios measured using ATD were highly accurate.