Assessment of the accuracy of 3D printed teeth by various 3D printers in forensic odontology

Additive manufacturing technology has benefited many sectors, and its use in forensic sciences has opened up a variety of new opportunities for analysing and exhibiting forensic materials. However, to perform analytical procedures on 3D printed bones and teeth in forensic odontology, the metric and morphological precision of the printed replicas must first be validated. To address this, the present study was undertaken using 12 extracted human teeth that were 3D printed using five different techniques. Manual measurements and a digital mesh comparison were used to evaluate the metric precision of all samples. The findings showed that the printed replicas were accurate to within 0.5 mm of the actual teeth. It was suggested that Digital Light Processing (DLP) prints be used for potential forensic odontology applications based on measurements, digital comparison, and ease of use. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This research validated the metric precision of 3D printed replicas of human teeth, finding that they were accurate to within 0.5 mm of the actual teeth. Digital Light Processing (DLP) prints were recommended for potential forensic odontology applications based on measurements, digital comparison, and ease of use.