Accuracy of Low-Cost Alternative Facial Scanners: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Abstract Introduction: Three-dimensional facial scan images have been showing an increasingly important role in peri-therapeutic management of oral and maxillofacial and head and neck surgery cases. Face scan images can be open using optical facial scanners utilizing line-laser, stereophotography, structured light modality, or from volumetric data obtained from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The aim of this study is to evaluate, if two low-cost procedures for creating a three-dimensional face scan images are able to produce a sufficient data set for clinical analysis. Materials and methods: 50 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Two test objects with defined dimensions were attached to the forehead and the left cheek. Anthropometric values were first measured manually, and consecutively, face scans were performed with a smart device and manual photogrammetry and compared to the manually measured data sets.Results: Anthropometric distances on average deviated 2.17 mm from the manual measurement (smart device scanning 3.01 mm vs. photogrammetry 1.34 mm), with 7 out of 8 deviations were statistically significant. Of a total of 32 angles, 19 values showed a significant difference to the original 90° angles. The average deviation was 6.5° (smart device scanning 10.1° vs. photogrammetry 2.8°).Conclusion: Manual photogrammetry with a regular photo-camera shows higher accuracy than scanning with smart device. However, the smart device was more intuitive in handling and further technical improvement of the cameras used should be watched carefully.