3D-Printing

The accuracy of digital complete dentures varies by region.Milled dentures demonstrate superior accuracy in primary stress-bearing areas, whereas 3D-printed dentures may show improved accuracy in peripheral regions and the posterior palatal seal, likely due to the limited ability of milling burs to access undercuts.⁴⁴ Post-processing is requiredfor 3D printed prostheses and includes removal from the build platform, support removal, cleaning, drying, post-curing, and polishing, all of which significantly influence the final properties of the prosthesis.⁴⁵

A key limitation of commonly used printing technologies, such as stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP), is their restriction to single-material or single-color fabrication.⁴⁶ As complete dentures consist of distinct tooth and gingival components, alternative workflows are required. Monolithic printing followed by external characterization reintroduces manual steps, whereas separate printing and bonding of teeth and the denture base improves esthetic control but introduces an interface with a potential risk of debonding under functional loading.To overcome these limitations, material jetting (MJ) technology has been introduced. MJ deposits and polymerizes photopolymer droplets layer by layer using ultraviolet light (e.g., PolyJet, MultiJet), enabling high resolution, smooth surface finish, and excellent dimensional accuracy with relatively simple post-processing.^47,48 Importantly, MJ allows simultaneous deposition of multiple materials and colors, facilitating fabrication of true monolithic, polychromatic dentures without a tooth-base interface.^47-49 However, high cost and current material limitations continue to restrict its widespread clinical adoption.