3D printers in dentistry: a review of additive manufacturing techniques and materials

Abstract

3D printers manufacture objects used in various dental specialties. Objective: This literature review aims to explore different techniques of current 3D printers and their applications in printed materials for dental purposes. Methods: The online PubMed databases were searched aiming to find applications of different 3D printers in the dental area. The keywords searched were 3D printer, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, 3D prototyping, dental materials and dentistry. Results: From the search results, we describe Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Material Jetting (MJ), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Binder Jetting (BJ) and Dust-based printing techniques. Conclusion: 3D printing enables different additive manufacturing techniques to be used in dentistry, providing better workflows and more satisfying clinical results.