Quantitative 3D Assessment of Iatrogenic Damage During Class II Cavity Preparations by Dental Students

The use of 3D modeling provides an advanced quantitative assessment of iatrogenic damage, offering potential for improved clinical training and technique refinement. The strong positive correlations between damage width and surface area (r = 0.906 and r = 0.872) have critical clinical implications for long-term adjacent tooth prognosis, increased bacterial retention, secondary caries risk and restoration failure. The significantly greater dimensions of X morphology damage translate directly to compromised enamel integrity, potentially requiring prophylactic restoration or enhanced preventive protocols.