Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Dental Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 7730

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. ADENTICS – Die Kieferorthopäden (Private Practice), Leipziger Platz 7, 10117 Berlin, Germany
2. Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Center for Dental Medicine, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
Interests: dental materials; additive manufacturing; digital orthodontics; digital prosthodontics

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Guest Editor
Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Center for Dental Medicine, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Interests: dental materials; additive manufacturing; digital prosthodontics; ceramic implants; CAD-CAM
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing has become established in dentistry, and has caused a paradigm shift in the way objects are manufactured. These can be summarized as "digital workflows" in dentistry, and comprise three steps: 1. data acquisition, 2. data processing, and 3. data manufacturing by using subtractive or additive technologies. This enables the combination of standardized and automated production processes with the need to manufacture individual patient-specific parts.

AM now covers a wide range of applications in dentistry. Thereby, three developments can be differentiated. First, technical and educational applications, such as dental models, emerged. Later, clinical applications followed, mainly templates for guided intraoral treatments such as implant placement or orthodontic bracket placement. Currently, the third state of applications is becoming established, including removable and fixed therapeutic biofunctional appliances. These must withstand the aggressive intraoral environment, and must show resistance to humidity, high temperature variations, wear resistance, and functional loading.

This Special Issue, entitled “Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials”, aims to provide scientific expertise across all areas of AM in dentistry. We welcome the submission of high-quality original research papers, review articles, communications, and case reports on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • AM of therapeutic appliances including aligners, orthodontic appliances, removable and fixed prosthetic restorations;
  • AM of templates and models;
  • Material properties of polymers, metals and ceramics for AM;
  • Post-processing and surface treatment procedures;
  • Further, research areas related to AM and digital workflows like data acquisition and data modeling.

Dr. Christian Wesemann
Prof. Dr. Benedikt C. Spies
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • additively manufactured orthodontic appliances
  • additively manufactured aligners
  • additively manufactured restorations
  • material processing techniques
  • polymers
  • metals
  • ceramics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 13587 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of the Structure and Selected Mechanical Properties of Cr/Co Alloys Obtained by Casting and Selective Laser Melting
by Leszek Klimek, Barbara Bułhak and Beata Śmielak
J. Funct. Biomater. 2024, 15(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb15030061 - 1 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1129
Abstract
Selective laser melting (SLM) technologies are becoming increasingly popular. The aim of the work is to compare the metallographic structure, hardness, and selected strength properties of alloys obtained by casting and by SLM, with a particular emphasis on fatigue strength. Twenty Cr/Co alloy [...] Read more.
Selective laser melting (SLM) technologies are becoming increasingly popular. The aim of the work is to compare the metallographic structure, hardness, and selected strength properties of alloys obtained by casting and by SLM, with a particular emphasis on fatigue strength. Twenty Cr/Co alloy bars were made by casting or SLM, and samples of appropriate dimensions were prepared for individual tests. The microstructures of the samples were tested by metallography, and then tested for hardness, impact strength, tensile strength, bending strength, and fatigue strength; they were also subjected to fracture after bending, tensile, fatigue, and impact tests, with the resulting fractures examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Primary dendrites and small amounts of gas bubbles were present in the cast samples ground lengthwise. The SEM samples were more finer grained and uniform. Compared to the casting samples, the SLM samples demonstrated higher hardness, lower mean impact strength and higher tensile strength. The casting samples also displayed lower mean elongation values. The casting samples demonstrated slightly higher fatigue strength. The fractures of the casting samples showed an interdendritic character with clearly visible dendrites at the fracture, while those of the SLM samples were also intergranular, but finer grained. SLM generally results in better strength properties, while casting obtains slightly greater fatigue strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials)
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15 pages, 1712 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Resistance of Natural Molars vs. Additive-Manufactured Simulators Treated with Pulpotomy and Endocrown
by Marie-Laure Munoz-Sanchez, Alexis Gravier, Olivier Francois, Emmanuel Nicolas, Martine Hennequin and Nicolas Decerle
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(9), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14090444 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 918
Abstract
Endocrowns are designed to restore endodontically treated teeth with root canal treatment (Rct). Recently, endocrowns were proposed for teeth treated with full pulpotomy (FP). No data exist on in vitro evaluations for this combination. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of [...] Read more.
Endocrowns are designed to restore endodontically treated teeth with root canal treatment (Rct). Recently, endocrowns were proposed for teeth treated with full pulpotomy (FP). No data exist on in vitro evaluations for this combination. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of pulpotomy-treated teeth with endocrowns according to different protocols for preparation design and materials and to assess whether 3D-printed resin simulators could be a reliable alternative for human teeth during in vitro strength tests. One hundred and ten extracted natural molars were randomized into 11 groups according to the type of endodontic treatment, the material used, and the design of peripheric preparation. One hundred and ten resin simulators were separated similarly. The samples were embedded in epoxy resin blocks before being subjected to oblique compressive load until failure. For natural teeth, the variance analysis separated two homogeneous groups, one regrouping the endodontically treated or pulpotomy-treated teeth without coronal restoration and the other one regrouping all the other samples, i.e., the untreated teeth (positive controls) and the treated and restored teeth. The strength resistance was lower for the resin simulators than for natural teeth in all groups. Within the limit of this study, strength resistance is not the most important criterion for choosing the type of material, preparation, or endodontic treatment for endocrowns. Resin simulators are not efficient for in vitro strength studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials)
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14 pages, 13901 KiB  
Article
Fit and Retention of Cobalt–Chromium Removable Partial Denture Frameworks Fabricated with Selective Laser Melting
by Stefan Rues, Akinori Tasaka, Isabella Fleckenstein, Shuichiro Yamashita, Peter Rammelsberg, Sophia Boehm and Franz Sebastian Schwindling
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(8), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14080416 - 8 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1625
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate fit and retention of cobalt–chromium removable partial denture (RPD) frameworks fabricated with selective laser melting (SLM). Methods: Three types of framework for clasp-retained RPDs were virtually designed and fabricated using SLM (n = 30). For comparison, 30 additional frameworks were [...] Read more.
Purpose: To evaluate fit and retention of cobalt–chromium removable partial denture (RPD) frameworks fabricated with selective laser melting (SLM). Methods: Three types of framework for clasp-retained RPDs were virtually designed and fabricated using SLM (n = 30). For comparison, 30 additional frameworks were produced using conventional lost-wax casting. A biomechanical model was created, incorporating extracted teeth mounted on flexible metal posts. Using this model, horizontal constraint forces resulting from a misfit were measured using strain gauges, while vertical forces were not recorded. The constraint force components and resultant forces were determined for all abutment teeth, and the maximum retention force during RPD removal from the model was also assessed. For statistical evaluation, the two fabrication methods were analyzed by calculating the means and standard deviations. Results: The average horizontal constraint forces showed similar values for both fabrication methods (SLM: 3.5 ± 1.0 N, casting: 3.4 ± 1.6 N). The overall scatter of data for cast RPDs was greater compared to those fabricated using SLM, indicating a better reproducibility of the SLM process. With regard to retention, the intended retention force of 5–10 N per abutment tooth was not attained in one of the cast groups, while it was consistently achieved in all SLM groups. Conclusions: This in vitro study found that SLM is a promising option for the manufacture of cobalt–chromium RPD frameworks in terms of fit and retention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials)
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12 pages, 3742 KiB  
Article
Influence of Individual Bracket Base Design on the Shear Bond Strength of In-Office 3D Printed Brackets—An In Vitro Study
by Lutz D. Hodecker, Mats Scheurer, Sven Scharf, Christoph J. Roser, Ahmed M. Fouda, Christoph Bourauel, Christopher J. Lux and Carolien A. J. Bauer
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(6), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14060289 - 24 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1713
Abstract
(1) Background: Novel high-performance polymers for medical 3D printing enable in-office manufacturing of fully customized brackets. Previous studies have investigated clinically relevant parameters such as manufacturing precision, torque transmission, and fracture stability. The aim of this study is to evaluate different design options [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Novel high-performance polymers for medical 3D printing enable in-office manufacturing of fully customized brackets. Previous studies have investigated clinically relevant parameters such as manufacturing precision, torque transmission, and fracture stability. The aim of this study is to evaluate different design options of the bracket base concerning the adhesive bond between the bracket and tooth, measured as the shear bond strength (SBS) and maximum force (Fmax) according to DIN 13990. (2) Methods: Three different designs for printed bracket bases were compared with a conventional metal bracket (C). The following configurations were chosen for the base design: Matching of the base to the anatomy of the tooth surface, size of the cross-sectional area corresponding to the control group (C), and a micro- (A) and macro- (B) retentive design of the base surface. In addition, a group with a micro-retentive base (D) matched to the tooth surface and an increased size was studied. The groups were analyzed for SBS, Fmax, and adhesive remnant index (ARI). The Kruskal–Wallis test with a post hoc test (Dunn–Bonferroni) and Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis (significance level: p < 0.05). (3) Results: The values for SBS and Fmax were highest in C (SBS: 12.0 ± 3.8 MPa; Fmax: 115.7 ± 36.6 N). For the printed brackets, there were significant differences between A and B (A: SBS 8.8 ± 2.3 MPa, Fmax 84.7 ± 21.8 N; B: SBS 12.0 ± 2.1 MPa, Fmax 106.5 ± 20.7 N). Fmax was significantly different for A and D (D: Fmax 118.5 ± 22.8 N). The ARI score was highest for A and lowest for C. (4) Conclusions: This study shows that conventional brackets form a more stable bond with the tooth than the 3D-printed brackets. However, for successful clinical use, the shear bond strength of the printed brackets can be increased with a macro-retentive design and/or enlargement of the base. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials)
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Review

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22 pages, 4641 KiB  
Review
Challenges and Future Perspectives for Additively Manufactured Polylactic Acid Using Fused Filament Fabrication in Dentistry
by Ghais Kharmanda
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(7), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14070334 - 22 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1501
Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM), which is also called rapid prototyping/3D printing/layered manufacturing, can be considered as a rapid conversion between digital and physical models. One of the most used materials in AM is polylactic acid (PLA), which has advantageous material properties such as biocompatibility, [...] Read more.
Additive manufacturing (AM), which is also called rapid prototyping/3D printing/layered manufacturing, can be considered as a rapid conversion between digital and physical models. One of the most used materials in AM is polylactic acid (PLA), which has advantageous material properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity. For many medical applications, it is considered as a leading biomaterial. In dentistry, in addition to its uses in dental models (education, teaching, simulation needs), it can be used for therapeutic objectives and tissue engineering. The fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique, also called fused deposition modeling (FDM), is widely used as an AM technique to perform complex and functional geometries directly from CAD files. In this review, the objective was to present the different challenges and future perspectives of this additively manufactured material by using FFF in dentistry areas. Some suggestions for future directions to extend to more dental applications (support structures, lattice structures, etc.) and to consider more criteria (sustainability, uncertainty etc.) will be discussed. Advanced studies such as machine learning (ML) techniques will be suggested to reduce the failure cases when using the additively manufactured PLA by FFF in dentistry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Dental Materials)
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