Sustainable Production of Dental and Orthodontic 3D Models Through Fused Granular Fabrication of Recycled Polymers

Sustainable production in dental and orthodontic 3D printing has gained increasing attention due to environmental concerns and the need for cost-effective and resource-saving solutions. This study presents a proof of concept for using recycled polymers and fused granular fabrication (FGF) in a closed-loop 3D printing approach, omitting intermediate filament manufacturing. A desktop 3D printer served as the kinematic platform and was modified with a pellet-based extruder to directly process recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) flakes, obtained by shredding previously printed PETG parts, into dental models. Dimensional accuracy was evaluated using optical 3D scanning analysis. The results indicate that models produced from recycled PETG are, in principle, suitable for dental and orthodontic applications within the investigated scope. This technical note provides initial evidence supporting the integration of recycled thermoplastics into dental and orthodontic model fabrication as part of sustainable additive manufacturing workflows. Potential pathways for workflow integration in clinical and laboratory environments, as well as directions for future research, are outlined, including the optimization of printing parameters and process stability. The main technical challenges were unreliable feedstock flow, causing bridging and jamming, while thermal creep from insufficient inlet cooling promoted premature softening of the flakes, causing torque spikes and unstable feeding.