Abstract
Technical advances in 3D morphometrics and other forms of digital analysis allow for detailed measurements of dental metrics yet, consistently, dental anthropologists show a publishing preference for measurements using dental calipers. It is possible that this preference reflects the often complex field settings, wide global distribution of sample collections, or the simple fact that calipers are a relatively low maintenance and low cost technology. Similarly, in bioarchaeological studies, dental casts are often measured when field seasons or collections based trips do not allow ample time to measure the original teeth. As such, this study aimed to assess differences among measurements of plaster casts, resin casts, and dental enamel to determine if variables such as material softness could lead to measurement error. Results of a paired t-test demonstrate no statistically significant difference in dental measurements. Likewise, while plaster casts exhibited overall smaller mean (and individual) measurements than enamel and resin the differences (around 0.039 mm on average) are negligible. We, therefore, conclude that casts can be used in place of original teeth, where needed, and which material type is “best” can be determined by the researcher’s preferred medium.
Highlights
Often circumstances do not allow for the long-term as an impression material in clinical settings for use of skeletal material for research purposes
This material is not often used by repatriation and reburial, length of research visit, dental anthropologists because it does not have etc.). In such cases, ongoing availability of materi- long-term dimensional stability requiring casts to als, through the production of dental impressions be made within a few hours or a single day
Within dental anthropolobe statistically insignificant so that the results of gy, the use of polyvinyl siloxane replica materials the study are not impacted. As such it is impera- (PVS) has become more common because it is gentive that a researcher knows whether dental repli- tler on skeletal dentitions and multiple casts can be cas consistently over or underestimate dental di- made from the same impression as needed, due to mensions compared to dental enamel, and whether long-term dimensional stability
Summary
1992) as long as temperatures do not ter casts to compare with both 3D printed resins fluctuate wildly (Kelso, Hulsey, and Driscoll, 2020). (measured by a scanning electron microscope) and Casting material such as gypsum plaster (plaster) digital scans (measured using computer software). A recent study of commonly used and highly impacted by the preparation of the denresin and plaster materials found that there was no tal tray while Pant et al (2008) found that temperadifference in measured size between epoxy resins ture differences impacted the “architectural stabiland dental stone, though the study measured dif- ity” of PVS. In ble surface indentation) and demonstrated low measurements using calipers material surface surface shrinkage rates of the materials measured, hardness is a primary concern as the metal tips we predicted that buccolingual dimensions of both must be tightly fit to the surface of the replica and the plaster and resin casts would not be significanthave the potential to leave impressions or scratches ly different than the original dental enamel. Available in the study did not allow for such a fine there were only three cases (13%) in which one or scale analysis of the cause of potential measure- more of the replicas (plaster or resin) and/or origi-
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