3d Printing in Dentistry

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies are advanced manufacturing technologies based on computer-aided design digital models to create personalized 3D objects automatically. They have been widely used in the industry design engineering and manufacturing fields for nearly 30 years. Three-dimensional printing has many advantages in process engineering with applications in dentistry ranging from the field of prosthodontics oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral implantology to orthodontics endodontics and periodontology. First it introduces current 3D printing technologies including powder bed fusion photopolymerization molding and fused deposition modeling. Additionally it introduces various factors affecting 3D printing metrics such as mechanical properties and accuracy. The final section presents a summary of the clinical applications of 3D printing in dentistry including manufacturing working models and main applications in the fields of prosthodontics oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral implantology. The 3D printing technologies have the advantages of high material utilization and the ability to manufacture a single complex geometry; nevertheless they have the disadvantages of high cost and time-consuming postprocessing. The development of new materials and technologies will be the future trend of 3D printing in dentistry and there is no denying that 3D printing will have a bright future.