An investigation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of dental zirconia manufactured by digital light processing 3D printing / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study was performed to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of dental zirconia manufactured by digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing and the clinical application prospects of this material.@*METHODS@#The experiment (DLP) group was zirconia manufactured by DLP 3D printing, and the control (MILL) group was milled zirconia. The density, grain size, and phase composition were measured to study the microstructure. Flexural strength was measured by using three-point bending tests, while Vickers hardness was determined through a Vickers hardness tester. Fracture toughness was tested using the single-edge V-notched beam method.@*RESULTS@#Zirconia density of the DLP group was (6.019 8±0.021 3) g·cm@*CONCLUSIONS@#Zirconia manufactured by DLP 3D printing had microstructure and mechanical properties similar to those of the milled zirconia. Only the flexural strength and the Vickers hardness of the experimental zirconia were slightly lower than those of the milled zirconia. Therefore, DLP-manufactured zirconia has a promising future for clinical use.

Integrated 3D bioprinting-based geometry-control strategy for fabricating corneal substitutes / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Background: The shortage of donor corneas is a severe global issue, and hence the development of corneal alternatives is imperative and urgent. Although attempts to produce artificial cornea substitutes by tissue engineering have made some positive progress, many problems remain that hamper their clinical application worldwide. For example, the curvature of tissue-engineered cornea substitutes cannot be designed to fit the bulbus oculi of patients. Objective: To overcome these limitations, in this paper, we present a novel integrated three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting-based cornea substitute fabrication strategy to realize design, customized fabrication, and evaluation of multi-layer hollow structures with complicated surfaces. Methods: The key rationale for this method is to combine digital light processing (DLP) and extrusion bioprinting into an integrated 3D cornea bioprinting system. A designable and personalized corneal substitute was designed based on mathematical modelling and a computer tomography scan of a natural cornea. The printed corneal substitute was evaluated based on biomechanical analysis, weight, structural integrity, and fit. Results: The results revealed that the fabrication of high water content and highly transparent curved films with geometric features designed according to the natural human cornea can be achieved using a rapid, simple, and low-cost manufacturing process with a high repetition rate and quality. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of customized design, analysis, and fabrication of a corneal substitute. The programmability of this method opens up the possibility of producing substitutes for other cornea-like shell structures with different scale and geometry features, such as the glomerulus, atrium, and oophoron.

Comparing accuracy of denture bases fabricated by injection molding, CAD/CAM milling, and rapid prototyping method

PURPOSE: The accuracy of denture bases was compared among injection molding, milling, and rapid prototyping (RP) fabricating method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary edentulous master cast was fabricated and round shaped four notches were formed. The cast was duplicated to ten casts and scanned. In the injection molding method, designed denture bases were milled from a wax block and fabricated using SR Ivocap injection system. Denture bases were milled from a pre-polymerized block in the milling method. In the RP method, denture bases were printed and post-cured. The intaglio surface of the base was scanned and surface matching software was used to measure inaccuracy. Measurements were performed between four notches and two points in the mid-palatal suture to evaluate inaccuracy. The palatine rugae resolution was evaluated. One-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis at α=.05. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in distances among four notches (P>.05). The accuracy of the injection molding method was lower than those of the other methods in two points of the mid-palatal suture significantly (P < .05). The degree of palatine rugae resolution was significantly higher in the injection molding method than that in other methods (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The overall accuracy of the denture base is higher in milling and RP method than the injection molding method. The degree of fine reproducibility is higher in the injection molding method than the milling or RP method.

Evaluation of the marginal and internal fit of a single crown fabricated based on a three-dimensional printed model

PURPOSE: To evaluate the fit of a crown produced based on a 3D printed model and to investigate its clinical applicability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A master die was fabricated with epoxy. Stone dies were fabricated from conventional impressions (Conventional stone die group: CS, n=10). Digital virtual dies were fabricated by making digital impressions (Digital Virtual die group: VD, n=10). 3D data obtained from the digital impression was used to fabricate 3D printed models (DLP die group: DD, n=10, PolyJet die group: PD, n=10). A total of 40 crowns were fabricated with a milling machine, based on CS, VD, DD and PD. The inner surface of all crowns was superimposed with the master die files by the “Best-fit alignment” method using the analysis software. One-way and 2-way ANOVA were performed to identify significant differences among the groups and areas and their interactive effects (α=.05). Tukey's HSD was used for post-hoc analysis. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA results revealed a significantly higher RMS value in the 3D printed models (DD and PD) than in the CS and DV. The RMS values of PD were the largest among the four groups. Statistically significant differences among groups (P < .001) and between areas (P < .001) were further revealed by 2-way ANOVA. CONCLUSION: Although the fit of crowns fabricated based on the 3D printed models (DD and PD) was inferior to that of crowns prepared with CS and DV, the values of all four groups were within the clinically acceptable range ( < 120 µm).

Flexural strength of various kinds of the resin bridges fabricated with 3D printing

PURPOSE: Manufacturing with AM (Additive manufacturing) technique has many advantages; but, due to insufficient study in the area, it is not being widely used in the general clinic. In this study, differences of flexural strength among various materials of 3 unit fixed dental prosthesis were analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A metal jig for specimens that had a 3-unit-fixed dental prosthesis figure were fabricated. The jigs were made appropriately to the specifications of the specimens. Three different kinds of materials of specimens which were NC (mathacrylic esther based), DP-1 (Bisphenol A epoxy acrylate type oligomer based), and DT-1 (urethane acrylate based) were printed with DLP machine. Five specimens for each kind of material were printed with an angle of 30° from the horizontal surface. The specimens were placed on the jig and the flexural strength was measured and recorded using Universal testing machine. The recorded data was analyzed in SPSS using One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD to determine the significance of the differences of flexural strength among the groups. RESULTS: The flexural strengths of each group were the followings: NC, 1119 ± 305 N; DP-1, 619 ± 150 N; DT-1, 413 ± 65 N. Using One-way ANOVA and Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test, significant difference was found between NC and the other groups (P 0.05). CONCLUSION: Higher flexural strength was shown in 3-unit-fixed dental prosthesis that were 3D printed using a DLP machine with NC material.