s165 Volume 37, 3D Printing Supplement, 2024
Correspondence to:
Dr Rafat Sasany,
sasanyr@gmail.com
Submitted November 23, 2023;
accepted February 20, 2024.
©2024 by Quintessence
Publishing Co Inc.
Purpose: To investigate the impact of printing layer thickness on the optical properties and surface roughness
of various 3D-printed resins manufactured by digital light processing (DLP) and indicated for provisional and
definitive restorations. Materials and Methods: A total of 240 specimens from four different 3D-printing
resins—VarseoSmile Crown Plus (Bego; VS), Crowntec (Saremco Dental; CR), GC Temp PRINT (GC Dental;
TG), and NextDent C&B MFH (NextDent; ND)—were divided into four groups (n = 60 per group). Each
group was further divided into three subgroups (n = 20) according to printing layer thickness (25, 50, and
100 μm). All specimens were subjected to thermocycling with coffee before measurements were taken with
a spectroradiometer to calculate color differences. The Kubelka-Munk (K-M) absorption (K) and scattering
coefficients (S), translucency parameters (TP), and surface roughness (Ra) values were calculated for each
printing layer thickness and compared with those of the 2M2 shade tab (target). The data were analyzed
using Mann-Whitney U test, the variance accounted for (VAF) coefficient by Cauchy–Schwarz, and post hoc
comparisons using Tukey test (α ≤ .05). Results: S (79% ≤ VAF ≤ 100%) and K (40.45% ≤ VAF ≤ 100%)
spectral distribution depended on the wavelength. A 25-μm layer thickness resulted in no significant
differences from the 2M2 shade for S (P > .230) and K (P > .200). VS showed significantly different S
(P = .004) and K (P = .003) values from those of the shade tab with 50-μm layering thickness, whereas other
materials did not show significant differences from the 2M2 shade for S (P > .280) and K (P > .301). The
100-μm layer thickness specimens had significantly different S and K values compared to the 2M2 shade tab
(P < .004). TP values of resins with 100-μm layer thickness were significantly lower than resins in 25- and
50-μm layer thicknesses (P < .001). The Ra values of resins increased significantly with 100-μm layer thickness
(P ≤ .001). Conclusions: All tested materials, except for VS, showed color properties similar to the target
shade when 25- and 50-μm printing layer thicknesses were used. The translucency of resins tended toward
an inverse relationship with printing layer thickness. The surface roughness of resins increased significantly
with 100-μm layer thickness. However, all resins with a printing thickness of 25 μm showed better color
properties and surface roughness. Int J Prosthodont 2024;37(suppl):s165–s173. doi: 10.11607/ijp.8965
Effect of Printing Layer Thickness on Optical
Properties and Surface Roughness of
3D-Printed Resins: An In Vitro Study
Rafat Sasany, DDS, PhD
Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Faris Z. Jamjoom, BDS, MS, DMSc
Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Science Department, College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz
University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah International Medical Research
Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Merve Yelken Kendirci, DDS, PhD
Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey;
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Burak Yilmaz, DDS, PhD
Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry and Department of Reconstructive
Dentistry and Gerodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Division
of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
M
atching the optical properties of dental materials with the natural dentition is
crucial for optimal esthetics, and it highlights the importance of appropriate
material selection and manufacturing method.
1
A number of variables affect
the optical properties of composite resins, including the composition of the organic
matrix and inorganic fillers, filler content, particle size, and other additives.
1
Composite
resin blocks for CAD/CAM are polymerized using standardized industrial protocols
under high temperature and pressure, resulting in improved material homogeneity and
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