Wear Behavior and Water Sorption of Additively Manufactured Resin-Based Splint Materials

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• Dental Technology

Background:

• 3D printing (additive manufacturing) is increasingly used for producing oral splints.
• Assessing the durability of oral splints in the oral environment requires considering various parameters.
• Wear behavior and water sorption are critical factors for oral splint longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the wear behavior and water sorption of two 3D-printed splint materials.
• To investigate the influence of building orientation and post-processing parameters on material properties.
• To determine the impact of post-polymerization and cleaning methods on splint durability.

Main Methods:

• In vitro study design.
• Testing two distinct 3D-printed splint materials.
• Varying building orientation, post-polymerization, and cleaning methods.
• Measuring average wear depth and water sorption.

Main Results:

• Average wear depth ranged from -421.8 μm to -667.5 μm.
• Building orientation significantly affected wear (p < 0.001).
• Water sorption varied significantly with material and building orientation, but not cleaning or post-polymerization.

Conclusions:

• Building orientation is a key factor influencing wear and water sorption in 3D-printed oral splints.
• Material selection and fabrication methods, particularly building orientation, are critical for optimizing splint performance.
• Further research should focus on optimizing these parameters for enhanced clinical longevity of 3D-printed oral devices.