Application of Personalized 3D-Printed Teeth Model Based on Clinical Cases in Endodontic Specialty Training

The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicative potential of 3D-printed teeth, designed from real clinical cases, in endodontic specialty training.

The study collected radiological data from clinical cases and performed 3D reconstruction. Through the data of 3D reconstruction, two 3D-printed materials were used to fabricate personalized, full-size, resin tooth models. These models were assigned to endodontic specialty trainees for root canal therapy practice in the dental simulator. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate trainees' perceptions of the similarity between 3D-printed tooth models and natural teeth, using a 5-point scale (1 = extremely dissimilar, 5 = extremely similar).

The results indicated that the 3D-printed tooth models accurately replicated the anatomical shape and root canal morphology of natural teeth, closely resembling real clinical cases. Trainees perceived the instructional value of the 3D-printed models as moderately similar to that of natural teeth. However, the hardness of 3D-printed models varied depending on the material used. Trainees reported a noticeable difference in handling perception between all resin tooth models and natural teeth during operative procedures.

Personalized 3D-printed tooth models-designed from real clinical cases with high anatomical accuracy and scalable production potential-demonstrate significant promise as specialized teaching aids for endodontic root canal therapy training. These models offer endodontic trainees the invaluable opportunity to practice on simulations of typical or complex clinical scenarios.