Intaglio surface trueness of dentures bases fabricated with 3D printing vs. conventional workflow: a clinical study.

The latest generation of intraoral scanners can record the prosthetic field with relative ease, high accuracy and comfort for the patient, and have enabled fully digital protocols for designing and manufacturing complete dentures. The present study aims to examine the intaglio surface trueness of 3D printed maxillary dentures produced by fully digital workflow in comparison with dentures produced by analogue clinical and laboratory prosthetic workflow. The edentulous maxillary arch of 15 patients was scanned with an intraoral scanner as well as the intaglio of the delivered conventional denture. The scan of the edentulous arch was imported into a dental design software to produce the denture base which was then 3D printed. The intaglio surface of the finished 3D printed denture bases was digitized and used to assess the trueness of the printed denture bases compared to the intaglio surface of the conventional dentures as well as performing a trueness comparison in relation to the scanned edentulous arches. The dataset (n = 30) was subjected to Kruskal-Wallis test analysis, the significance level being established at α = 0.05. The results of the study showed that the printed group displayed better trueness values with a median of 176.9 µm while the analogue group showed a median of 342 µm. Employing a fully digital workflow to produce 3D-printed denture bases yields a consistent and precise manufacturing method when accounting for the intaglio surface of the denture.

Compressive strength evaluation of thin occlusal veneers from different CAD/CAM materials, before and after acidic saliva exposure.

In the present study are depicted valuable observations for practitioners, obtained from an in vitro study which aims to evaluate the compressive strength of occlusal veneers fabricated from 3 type of restorative materials, before and after 1 month of acidic artificial saliva exposure (pH = 2.939). In this context, 90 extracted human molars were prepared to receive computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) occlusal veneers. The restorative materials considered in this study were: Cerasmart; Straumann Nice and Tetric CAD. The occlusal veneers were designed, milled and cemented with an adhesive dual-cure resin cement. From all the extracted human molars, only sixty specimens were immersed in acidic artificial saliva, for 1 month, at 37 °C ± 1 °C and part of this specimens were also thermo-cycled, between 5 and 55 °C ± 2 °C, before compressive strength test. The results showed a lower compressive strength for both the samples exposed to acidic artificial saliva as well as for the samples exposed to acidic artificial saliva and thermo-cycled. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that after compressive strength, all the specimens non-exposed to acidic artificial saliva, present extensive cracks formation at the surface of the restorations, and after exposure to acidic artificial saliva for 1 month, the surface damage was characterized by longitudinal and profound fractures of the restoration, as well as the fracture of the tooth structure. Between CAD/CAM materials tested, nanoceramic resin shows more favorable fracture patterns, both before and after acidic artificial saliva exposure.

Optical properties of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate veneers obtained with CAD/CAM milling and hot-pressing techniques: a comparative in vitro study.

Background and aims: Dental veneers have become increasingly required among patients, but little is known about the optical properties of veneers obtained from the same ceramic material through different processing techniques. Methods: In this study we compared the translucency and the opalescence parameters of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) veneers restorations fabricated through CAD/CAM milling and hot-pressing techniques on the upper central incisor. Eighty specimens divided into 8 groups (n=10) were sectioned (Celtra Duo) and heat pressed (Celtra Press) to obtain 0.8 mm thickness. The optical parameters were calculated from the color difference against different backgrounds. Analysis of variance, one way ANOVA and post-hoc multiple comparison tests were used to evaluate and compare the optical properties of the same material, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The processing method had significant effect on optical parameters. Celtra Duo HT proved to be the material with the highest transparency degree. The hot-pressing technique led to higher opacity than CAD/CAM milling technique. Conclusions: For a bio-mimetic aesthetic prosthetic restoration, the ceramic materials must have the same translucency and opacity as the real tooth. The results of this study revealed that high translucency ZLS obtained through hot pressing technique was the material of choice, as it fulfilled these requirements.

Scanning Distance Influence on the Intraoral Scanning Accuracy-An In Vitro Study.

Intraoral scanners (IOS) have reached a point where their impact in the dental office cannot be denied. The distance between the tip of the IOS and the preparation may have implications on the accuracy of the digital model. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in accuracy between digital impressions in the scenario of different scanning distances. Twenty consecutive scans were performed at five predetermined distances: 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm and 23 mm by a single operator. The scanning distance of 10 mm displayed the best accuracy with an overall trueness value of 23.05 µm and precision value of 4.2 µm. The drawn conclusion was that increased scanning distances can decrease the accuracy of a digital impression.

Can Dental Office Lighting Intensity Conditions Influence the Accuracy of Intraoral Scanning?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different settings of ambient light intensity inside the dental office on the accuracy (trueness and precision) of an intraoral scanner (IOS). A full crown preparation was conducted on a resin molar which was scanned using a high resolution extraoral scanner to obtain a reference model. Six light settings were chosen based on the most clinically relevant light conditions inside the workspace, and the preparation was scanned using an intraoral scanner (PlanScan, Planmeca). The obtained data was analyzed using a professional 3D quality control software (Geomagic Control X). There was no statistically relevant difference between the groups when regarding trueness, although a slight influence of the light intensity could be observed on the trueness values. Regarding precision, the best results were obtained in the 3800 lux group, with the other groups presenting close values, excepting the extreme values (400 lux and 11 000 lux) groups that proved to be the most deficient.