Additive Manufacturing in Dentistry: A Comparative Study of Polymeric Surgical Guide Fabrication

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing Technologies
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, enables custom surgical guide fabrication in dentistry.
• Desktop-level AM equipment is increasingly accessible for dental applications.
• Evaluating different AM technologies is crucial for optimizing surgical guide production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare Material Extrusion (MEX), Vat Photopolymerization (VPP), and Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) for dental surgical guide production.
• To analyze dimensional accuracy, manufacturing time, process complexity, and cost.
• To assess suitability for single-set and multiple-set production scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of three polymer AM technologies: MEX, VPP, and PBF.
• Evaluation focused on desktop equipment and key performance metrics.
• Assessment of production efficiency for both single and multiple surgical guide sets.

Main Results:

• VPP and MEX demonstrated sufficient dimensional accuracy for clinical use; PBF did not meet accuracy requirements.
• VPP is most efficient for multiple-set guide production in terms of cost and time.
• MEX is competitive for single-set, on-demand fabrication due to speed and potential cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• MEX is a viable and practical alternative to VPP for dental surgical guide fabrication.
• Advancements in MEX technology facilitate easier integration into smaller dental clinics.
• Both VPP and MEX are suitable AM options, with MEX offering advantages for on-demand needs.