Three-dimensional Printed Esthetic Innovative Space Maintainer for Children with ADHD: Short Communication

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Digital Dentistry

Background:

• Space maintainers are crucial for children who have lost primary teeth prematurely.
• Managing children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presents unique challenges in dental treatment, often requiring extended appointments.
• Traditional space maintainer fabrication can be time-consuming, necessitating multiple dental visits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel clinical technique for the single-visit fabrication and delivery of 3D-printed space maintainers.
• To evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of this method in children diagnosed with severe ADHD.
• To present an innovative and potentially more esthetic option for pediatric space management.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three-dimensional (3D) scanning and printing technology for rapid prototyping of custom space maintainers.
• Adapted the fabrication and delivery process for a single-visit appointment.
• Applied the technique to two pediatric patients diagnosed with severe ADHD.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated and delivered custom 3D-printed space maintainers within a single clinical visit for both patients.
• The single-visit approach was feasible despite the challenges associated with treating children with severe ADHD.
• The 3D-printed space maintainers were well-tolerated and met functional requirements.

Conclusions:

• Single-visit fabrication and delivery of 3D-printed space maintainers is a viable and efficient technique for pediatric patients, particularly those with ADHD.
• This digital dentistry approach can potentially reduce chair time and improve patient cooperation.
• 3D printing offers a promising avenue for innovative and personalized space management solutions in pediatric dentistry.