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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Stereolithographic 3D Printing with Renewable Acrylates
Published on: September 12, 2018
Comparative analysis of monomer elution, polymerization efficiency, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of
Narin Intarak1, Sasiprapa Prommanee2, Sunisa Somkana1
1Center of Excellence in Precision Medicine and Digital Health, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Objective:
This study compared monomer elution, degree of conversion, mechanical performance, and cytocompatibility of 3D-printed dental resins used for crown and denture-base applications.
Methods:
Four 3D-printed resins: provisional-crown (DTO), permanent-crown (CT), denture-base (DB), and permanent denture-base (DTT) (n = 7 per group). Elution of Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), Urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA), Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and Ethoxylated bisphenol-A dimethacrylate (Bis-EMA) into artificial saliva was quantified using Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy evaluated the polymerization efficiency. Mechanical properties were evaluated using nanoindentation and three-point bending tests. Cytocompatibility was determined by exposing primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) to resin extracts using an MTT assay. Statistical significance was set at α=0.05.
Results:
All materials achieved a high degree of conversion (>90%). DTO released significantly higher amounts of UDMA, TEGDMA, and HEMA than CT (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.0001, respectively). CT and DTT showed higher nano-hardness and elastic modulus than DB and DTO. DB exhibited higher flexural strength and modulus than DTT (p = 0.0423 and p = 0.0147, respectively). DTO showed the lowest HGF viability (20.98±5.73%), which was significantly lower than CT (43.55±8.18%; p < 0.0001), DB (38.80±9.52%; p = 0.0007), and DTT (41.53±3.71%; p < 0.0001), consistent with its higher monomer elution.
Conclusions:
Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that the performance of 3D-printed denture resins varies according to the resin material used. DTO demonstrated the highest monomer elution and the lowest HGF viability, while permanent materials generally had superior nano-hardness and elastic modulus. DB also outperformed DTT in flexural properties.
Clinical Significance:
Material selection for 3D-printed denture crowns and bases should be considered by combined chemical, mechanical, and biological performance. Careful post-processing and indication-specific material selection are essential to reduce residual monomer-related biological risks and optimize clinical durability.
