“The meaning is to test inexpensive 3-D printers available in computer shops versus stereolithography and expensive printing,” said Professor Reinhilde Jacobs of the department of imaging and pathology at the OMFS-IMPATH Research Group.
The researchers scanned a pair of adult, dry human mandibles with CBCT. Next, they printed models of premolars using 4 different 3-D printers. Dimensional differences between the natural teeth and the models were evaluated directly using volumetric differences and indirectly through optical scanning. Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and Bland Altman plots were applied for statistical analysis.
The volumetric measurements of the teeth and the models showed no statistical differences, neither directly nor indirectly. The mean volume difference ranged from 3.1 mm3 (0.7%) to 4.4 mm3 (1.9%) for the direct measurement and -1.3 mm3 (-0.6%) and 11.9 mm3 (5.9%) for the optical scan. A surface part comparison analysis showed that 90% of the values revealed a distance deviation within 0.0 and 0.25 mm.Read more
Source: dentistrytoday.com