Objective: Techniques currently applied to determine the marginal accuracy of dental crown restorations yield inadequate information. This investigation aimed to test a new virtual approach for determining the precision of fit of single-crown copings. Method and Materials: Zirconia single crown copings were manufactured on 10 gypsum, single-tooth master casts with two different established computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) systems (groups A and B). After cementation, the circumferential fit was assessed with an industrial noncontact scanner and virtual 3D analysis, following a triple-scan protocol. Marginal fit was determined by virtual sectioning; each abutment-coping complex was digitally sliced in 360 vertical sections (1 degree per section). Standardized measurement distances for analyzing the marginal fit (z, xy, xyz) were selected, and a crosshair alignment was utilized to determine whether crowns were horizontally and/or vertically too large or small. The Mann-Whitney test was applied to test for differences between groups. Results: Significant differences in the xy direction (P = .008) were measured between groups. Group A showed a greater number of horizontally overextended margins and a higher frequency of xy distances greater than 150 μm, in addition to a tendency for excessive z distances (P = .095). Conclusion: The mean marginal gap values were clinically acceptable in the present investigation; however, a full circumferential analysis revealed significant differences in marginal coping quality. (Quintessence Int 2012;43:801–809)

Key words: CAD/CAM, fit, margin, virtual, zirconia