The science of printing and polishing 3D printed dentures

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of various techniques available for printing, finishing and polishing of 3D printed prosthesis. Methods: The articles were selected from electronic databases including PubMed and Scopus. Recently, lot of advancements have been observed in the field of 3D printing in dentistry. Results: Numerous studies were found explaining the factors affecting the surface roughness such as printing speed, direction, layer thickness, post curing, etc., and the significance in achieving a smooth surface finish of a 3D printed prosthesis. The methods employed to achieve this range, similar to conventional and chairside polishing, are to use advanced coating materials such as light cured glazes to nanoparticles. Conclusion: 3D printing is being used in day-to-day practice and the prosthesis must be aesthetic looking to satisfy the patients’ expectations. There is a lack of data supporting any one polishing method for the prosthesis. There is a need for further research on the existing techniques and newer advancements yielding aesthetic prostheses with an optimal surface finish.