Comparison of Intaglio Surface Trueness of Interim Dental Crowns Fabricated with SLA 3D Printing, DLP 3D Printing, and Milling Technologies

This study aimed to evaluate the intaglio surface trueness of interim dental crowns fabricated with three 3-dimensional (3D) printing and milling technologies. Dental crown was designated and assigned as a computer-aided design (CAD) reference model (CRM). Interim dental crowns were fabricated based on CRM using two types of 3D printer technologies (stereolithography apparatus and digital light processing) and one type of milling machine (n = 15 per technology). The fabricated interim dental crowns were obtained via 3D modeling of the intaglio surface using a laboratory scanner and designated as CAD test models (CTMs). The alignment and 3D comparison of CRM and CTM were performed based on the intaglio surface using a 3D inspection software program (Geomagic Control X). Statistical analysis was validated using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD test (alpha = 0.05). There were significant differences in intaglio surface trueness between the three different fabrication technologies, and high trueness values were observed in the milling group (p < 0.05). In the milling group, there was a significant difference in trueness according to the location of the intaglio surface (p < 0.001). In the manufacturing process of interim dental crowns, 3D printing technologies showed superior and uniform manufacturing accuracy than milling technology.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the intaglio surface trueness of interim dental crowns fabricated with different 3D printing and milling technologies. The results showed that milling technology had significantly higher trueness values, and the location of the intaglio surface had a significant impact on the trueness.