Effect of Support Spacing on the Region-Specific Dimensional Accuracy of 3D-Printed Dental Models

Additive manufacturing is increasingly integrated into digital prosthodontic workflows for the fabrication of dental models; however, printing-related parameters may influence the dimensional accuracy of clinically relevant regions. This in vitro study evaluated the effect of support spacing on the region-specific dimensional accuracy of masked stereolithography (MSLA)-printed dental models. A standardized typodont model representing a three-unit posterior fixed dental prosthesis preparation in the FDI 24-26 region was digitized to obtain a reference STL dataset. Three support spacing configurations were evaluated: 3 mm, 5 mm, and 7 mm (n = 8 per group). All specimens were fabricated using an MSLA printer and a photopolymer model resin at a layer thickness of 50 μm. After post-processing, the printed models were rescanned and compared with the reference dataset using three-dimensional deviation analysis. Root mean square (RMS) deviations were calculated for global, marginal, intaglio, and adjacent regions. Significant differences were observed in the global (p < 0.001), marginal (p = 0.001), and intaglio (p = 0.010) regions, whereas adjacent regions were not significantly affected (p = 0.070). Increasing support spacing was associated with greater dimensional deviations in the global and intaglio regions. Overall, the 3-mm support spacing demonstrated the most consistent dimensional performance across the evaluated regions. These findings indicate that support spacing is an important design parameter influencing the dimensional predictability of MSLA-printed dental models and highlight the value of region-specific accuracy assessment for optimizing support design in digital prosthodontic workflows.