Comparing the trueness of 3D printing and conventional casting for the fabrication of removable partial denture metal frameworks for patients with different palatal vault depths: An in vitro study

Statement of problem. The success of a removable partial denture depends on its fit, and, with conventional casting, the framework more distorted in patients with a deep palatal vault. Questions remain about whether the three-dimensional (3D) printing technique fabricating a framework can improve the accuracy of fit for these patients. Purpose. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the trueness of metal frameworks fabricated by selective laser melting, printing pattern casting, and conventional casting for different palatal vault depths. Material and methods. A total of 30 partially edentulous maxillary casts were custom-made in 15 medium and 15 deep palatal vaults. All stone casts were scanned as reference models in digital files. For the medium palatal vault casts, Co-Cr frameworks of conventional casting (CON) group (n=5) were fabricated with the lost wax technique. For the 3D printing pattern casting (PPC) group (n=5), wax patterns of the framework were printed, followed by metal casting. The frameworks created for the selective laser melting (SLM) group (n=5) were printed directly by using the SLM machine. The same procedures were followed for the deep palatal vault group. All the metal frameworks were scanned and superimposed with the reference casts by using the Geomagic Control X software program. Discrepancies were measured as mean +/- standard deviation (trueness), and the data were statistically analyzed with a 2-way ANOVA test to evaluate the interaction of 2 independent factors (fabrication techniques and palatal vault depths) on a trueness outcome (alpha=.05). Results. The lowest mean +/- standard deviation value was 0.092 +/- 0.023 mm, found from the SLM framework with deep palatal vault group, while the highest value was 0.194 +/- 0.017 mm, found from the CON framework with deep palatal vault group. Different fabrication techniques interacted with different palatal vault depths in terms of trueness (P<.05); however, no significant differences were observed in the medium palatal vault groups (P>.05). Additionally, color mapping demonstrated the gaps of metal frameworks among the 6 groups. Conclusions. With the conventional casting technique, the accuracy of the metal framework was affected by the depth of the palate. medium palatal vaults, all fabricated frameworks had clinically acceptable fit. For deep palatal vaults, the SLM frameworks showed lowest discrepancy. As a result, the SLM technique is advised for fabricating a better-fitting metal framework for patients with a deep palatal vault. (J Prosthet Dent 2024;132:434.e1-e6)