Multiresin Additive Manufacturing Process for Printing a Complete Denture and an Analysis of Accuracy

Abstract

A complete denture, consisting of teeth and a gum base, is a standard device used to restore masticatory and esthetic functions in patients with complete edentulism. The different colors and mechanical properties for teeth and the gum base mean a complete denture is manufactured using two materials with different mechanical properties. This study proposes a method to make a complete denture using a laboratory-developed, multiresin additive manufacturing (MRAM) system with two resins and different mechanical properties. A tenon joint is used to create the bottom of the teeth that fit into the gum base, ensuring automatic alignment and higher bending strength. The mechanical properties, material waste, fabrication time, and effect of the tenon joint on the bending strength of a complete denture printed using the MRAM system are compared with the values for a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. Experimental results show that the printed denture is manufactured 3 times faster and produces 14 times less material waste, but is 35.08% less inaccurate than one produced using a CAD/CAM system. The proposed tenon joint increases the bending strength by 31.94%. The MRAM system is applicable for printing a complete denture.