THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING IN DENTISTRY AND CUSTOM DENTAL IMPLANTS: AN OVERVIEW

The aim of this overview was to provide a synopsis of customized dental implants, and of the three-dimensional (3D)-printing/additive manufacturing (AM) techniques used in their fabrication, as well as of the material used and of some mechanical and biological aspects related to their intraoral function. Various AM technologies are used in medicine and dentistry to build up 3D objects layer-by-layer, such as powder bed fusion processes, vat photopolymerization, material and binder jetting, 3D-material extrusion, and sheet lamination or laminated object manufacturing.The customized an individualized dental implant is one of the main applications of AM technology in dentistry. Different materials were tested for their use in manufacturing custom dental implants. Long-term clinical studies are needed to evaluate long-standing implant performances with respect to their biological, mechanical, and functional aspects.