Research and Education
Accuracy of trial complete dentures fabricated by using fused deposition modeling 3-dimensional printing: An in vitro study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prosdent.2021.07.021Get rights and content

Abstract

Statement of problem

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies commonly used for trial complete dentures use photopolymerizing resins. Although effective, some clinical, process-related, and practical issues associated with them are still unclear. The option of using alternative printing technologies may help in overcoming limitations.

Purpose

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the trueness of trial dentures fabricated by using 3D-printing fused deposition modeling (FDM).

Material and methods

Ten maxillary and 10 mandibular digital complete trial dentures designed from intraoral scans were fabricated from polylactic acid by using a FDM 3D-printer. Each denture was scanned, and the scans were compared with the digital file of the designed denture by means of a surface-matching software program. The mean distance (both signed and absolute) was measured and recorded for the intaglio surface, as well as for the entire denture surface. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the significance of the extent of measured distances, as well as differences between intaglio and global deviations; subgroup analysis for arch type was also performed (α=.05).

Results

Mean values of the intaglio distance were not significantly different from zero (P=.223). The manufacturing accuracy of the intaglio surface was higher than that measured for the entire denture (P<.001), confirmed both by the averaged signed (0 mm and -0.028 mm, respectively) and the absolute mean deviations (0.06 mm and 0.08 mm, respectively). No significant differences were found between maxillary and mandibular trial dentures.

Conclusions

3D-printing may constitute a valid and practical option for accurate and affordable digital trial dentures.

Section snippets

Material and methods

Institutional review board approval was received for the study. Ten maxillary and 10 mandibular complete dentures from 11 patients were evaluated. A pilot study was completed to verify the methodology before initiating this study; on the basis of the pilot study, assuming a large effect size, a sample size of approximately 10 dentures was calculated to have 80% power to detect a significant difference; this sample size was also consistent with other studies.16,17

All dentures were designed from

Results

Distributions of all measurements for the investigated parameters are summarized in Table 1. From the Shapiro-Wilk test, data for all the investigated parameters were found to have a nonnormal distribution (P<.05); hence, nonparametric tests were used for their statistical analysis.

The accuracy of the intaglio surface was higher than that measured for the entire denture. Considering the total data set, the intaglio distance was significantly lower (P<.001) than the global distance, as confirmed

Discussion

The usefulness of 3D-printed trial dentures has been recently highlighted even from an educational point of view.20 The most commonly used 3D-printing technologies for trial complete dentures have been photopolymerizing resins.13,14,21 Although effective, their clinical application (possibility of making and recording chairside adjustments), processing21 (effect of layer thickness and position on build platform, difficulties in postprocessing standardization), and practical considerations

Conclusions

Based on the findings of this in vitro study, the following conclusion was drawn:

  • 1.

    FDM 3D printing may constitute an accurate and affordable option for digital trial complete dentures.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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© 2021 by the Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.