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The Effect of Different Scaling Methods on the Surface Roughness of 3D-Printed Crowns: An In Vitro Study
Turki Alshehri1, Dhai Albishri2, Aminah M Alsayoud2
1Department of Substitutive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 31, 2025
Summary
Ultrasonic scalers significantly increase surface roughness on most 3D-printed dental crowns, potentially affecting plaque retention and longevity. Plastic scalers also showed material-specific roughness changes.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Prosthodontics
Background:
- 3D-printed resin materials are increasingly used for dental crowns.
- Limited data exists on the impact of clinical scaling procedures on their surface integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of different scaling methods on the surface roughness of five 3D-printed resin crown materials.
- To compare the roughness changes induced by manual, plastic, and ultrasonic scalers.
Main Methods:
- Five commercial 3D-printed crown materials were tested (Crowntec, Varseosmile, Freeprint, Ezprint, C&B Nextdent).
- Specimens were subjected to scaling using stainless-steel manual, plastic, and piezoelectric ultrasonic scalers.
- Surface roughness (Ra) was measured using a non-contact profilometer before and after scaling.
Main Results:
- Ultrasonic scalers significantly increased surface roughness for most materials (p < 0.05), except VarseoSmile.
- Freeprint crowns showed the greatest roughness increase with plastic scalers compared to C&B Nextdent (p < 0.05).
- No significant differences in roughness were found among crown types when using hand or ultrasonic scalers.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic scaling can increase surface roughness of 3D-printed dental crowns, potentially leading to increased plaque retention and reduced prosthesis lifespan.
- Careful selection of scaling instruments is recommended for maintaining the surface integrity of 3D-printed resin restorations.
