Clinical Applications of 3D-Printed Polymers in Dentistry: A Scoping Review

The aim of this scoping review is to categorize 3D-printing applications of polymeric materials into those where there is evidence to support their clinical application and to list the clinical applications that require a greater evidence base or further development before adoption.

An electronic search on PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus (Elsevier), and Cochrane Library databases was conducted, including articles written in English and published between January 2003 and September 2023. The search terms were: ((3D printing) OR (3-dimensional printing) OR (three dimensional printing) OR (additive manufacturing)) AND ((polymer) OR (resin)) AND (dent*). Case reports, in vitro, in situ, ex vivo, or clinical trials focused on applications of 3D printing with polymers in dentistry were included. Review articles, systematic reviews, and articles comparing material properties without investigation on clinical application and performance/accuracy were excluded.

The search provided 3,070 titles, and 969 were duplicates and removed. A total of 2,101 records were screened during the screening phase, and 1,628 records were excluded based on title/abstract. In the eligibility phase, of the 473 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 254 articles were excluded. During the inclusion phase, a total of 219 studies were included in qualitative synthesis.

There is lack of clinical evidence for the use of 3D-printing technologies in dentistry. Current evidence, when investigating clinical outcomes only, would indicate non-inferiority of 3D-printed polymeric materials for applications including diagnostic models, temporary prostheses, custom trays, and positioning/surgical guides/stents.