Adapting Current Dental Materials for Customized 3D-printing – A Feasibility Study

Objectives: Major changes in manufacturing and health care are happening as a result of the technological advancements in 3D printing. The availability of more sophisticated and cost-effective instruments and better materials has helped reduce manufacturing time, rapid turnaround times, and costs, making this as a viable alternative to conventional dental labs. 3D printing is already revolutionizing clinical care in the dental field. Examples of this include fabrication of custom surgical guides, orthodontic appliances, investment parts and temporary crowns among others. These devices are fabricated with readily available industrial polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). This study examines the feasibility of utilizing a current dental material, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), after modification for 3D printing of dental prostheses to reduce cost and turn-around time for patients. Although commercial PMMA filaments are available, they are currently not optimal (color, durability) for routine dental materials.
Methods: PMMA filaments were constructed by molding PMMA powder or sheets currently used for dental procedures to appropriate size and configuration to be used in a commercially available 3D printer (B3CN, Sigma). Digital imaging software (3Shape TRIOS) was used to capture images and design prosthetics.
Results: Print speeds, extruder and bed temperature for dental PMMA filaments were optimized for 3D printing these devices. Partial and complete dentures were fabricated and tested for mechanical strength and accuracy of fit compared to conventional lab manufacturing.
Conclusions: Based on results from this study, it appears feasible that a combination of digital imaging (CAD/CAM) and 3D printing of an accepted dental material offers a economical route with rapid turn-around time to generate dental prostheses. Besides the routine use of this technology, we believe this approach would most benefit public health dentistry via mobile dental care units to deliver more comprehensive care.