Three-Dimensional Printed Teeth in Endodontics: A New Protocol for Microcomputed Tomography Studies

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Endodontics
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Three-dimensional printed teeth (3DPT) offer a promising alternative to natural teeth (NT) for research.
• Evaluating the internal anatomy and endodontic preparation behavior of 3DPT is crucial for their validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and validate a support material removal protocol (SMRP) for 3DPT.
• To compare the internal anatomy and endodontic preparation behavior of 3DPT with NT.
• To assess the adequacy of 3DPT for comparing endodontic preparation systems.

Main Methods:

• A support material removal protocol (SMRP) was developed for PolyJet™ 3DPT.
• Microcomputed tomography (microCT) was used to scan 3DPT and NT before and after preparation.
• 3DPT were prepared using ProTaper Gold® (PTG) and Endogal® (ENDG) systems and compared to NT.

Main Results:

• The SMRP effectively removed support material (SUP706B™).
• No significant differences were found between 3DPT and NT in internal anatomy or preparation behavior (p > 0.05).
• 3DPT demonstrated similar behavior to NT during endodontic preparation with PTG.

Conclusions:

• The described SMRP is effective for PolyJet™ 3DPT.
• 3DPT are adequate for replicating NT internal anatomy and preparation behavior.
• 3DPT are suitable for evaluating and comparing endodontic preparation systems.