A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry

Micu, Alexandru Mihai; Bacalu, Robert Mihai; Constantin, Teodor Raul; Cârstea, Alexia-Ecaterina; Ciocan, Lucian Toma; Vasilescu, Vlad-Gabriel; Dimitriu, Bogdan; Pantea, Mihaela; Pițuru, Silviu-Mirel; Imre, Marina

doi:10.3390/jfb17080355

Open AccessArticle

A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry

by

Alexandru Mihai Micu

^1,†,

Robert Mihai Bacalu

^1,†,

Teodor Raul Constantin

¹,

Alexia-Ecaterina Cârstea

^1,*

,

Lucian Toma Ciocan

^2,*

,

Vlad-Gabriel Vasilescu

²

,

Bogdan Dimitriu

³

,

Mihaela Pantea

⁴

,

Silviu-Mirel Pițuru

⁵ and

Marina Imre

⁴

¹

Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu Street, No. 37, District 2, 020021 Bucharest, Romania

²

Discipline of Dental Prosthesis Technology, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu Street, No. 37, District 2, 020021 Bucharest, Romania

³

Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroilor Sanitari Blvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania

⁴

Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu Street, No. 37, District 2, 020021 Bucharest, Romania

⁵

Department of Professional Organization and Medical Legislation-Malpractice, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu Street, No. 37, District 2, 020021 Bucharest, Romania

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

J. Funct. Biomater. 2026, 17(8), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080355

Submission received: 26 June 2026 / Revised: 18 July 2026 / Accepted: 22 July 2026 / Published: 24 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biomaterials and Techniques in Dental Surgical Treatment (2nd Edition))

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Abstract

Conventional typodonts for preclinical operative dentistry are idealised and lack the variability and tactile feedback of natural teeth; virtual-reality and haptic simulators remain costly for large cohorts. This study developed a reproducible, low-cost digital workflow for patient-specific, multi-material 3D-printed dental simulators and evaluated the models from a learner’s perspective. Intraoral and CBCT data from a single de-identified case were co-registered to a Virtual Patient. A modular tooth-socket architecture with trans-apical screw retention allowed repeatable individual tooth replacement; each tooth combined a variable-thickness enamel shell over a dentin core with multi-material carious lesions. Two fabrication routes (MSLA and PolyJet) and an adopted hybrid route (MSLA base, PolyJet teeth) were compared for cost, time and fidelity. The hybrid produced complete bimaxillary models at low consumable cost while preserving the source occlusion and contacts. Fifty dental students evaluated a PolyJet specimen hands-on: didactic utility scored highest (4.32 ± 0.65 on 1–5) and visual realism exceeded tactile realism (p < 0.001); 94% rated it at least comparable to a natural extracted tooth and 62% preferred it, while perceived hardness remained the main limitation. The workflow enables scalable in-house production of patient-specific simulators, with tactile realism the priority for material development.

Keywords: dental education; additive manufacturing; 3D printing; MSLA; PolyJet; phantom head; operative dentistry; simulation; digital workflow; multi-material printing

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MDPI and ACS Style

Micu, A.M.; Bacalu, R.M.; Constantin, T.R.; Cârstea, A.-E.; Ciocan, L.T.; Vasilescu, V.-G.; Dimitriu, B.; Pantea, M.; Pițuru, S.-M.; Imre, M. A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry. J. Funct. Biomater. 2026, 17, 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080355

AMA Style

Micu AM, Bacalu RM, Constantin TR, Cârstea A-E, Ciocan LT, Vasilescu V-G, Dimitriu B, Pantea M, Pițuru S-M, Imre M. A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry. Journal of Functional Biomaterials. 2026; 17(8):355. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080355

Chicago/Turabian Style

Micu, Alexandru Mihai, Robert Mihai Bacalu, Teodor Raul Constantin, Alexia-Ecaterina Cârstea, Lucian Toma Ciocan, Vlad-Gabriel Vasilescu, Bogdan Dimitriu, Mihaela Pantea, Silviu-Mirel Pițuru, and Marina Imre. 2026. "A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry" Journal of Functional Biomaterials 17, no. 8: 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080355

APA Style

Micu, A. M., Bacalu, R. M., Constantin, T. R., Cârstea, A.-E., Ciocan, L. T., Vasilescu, V.-G., Dimitriu, B., Pantea, M., Pițuru, S.-M., & Imre, M. (2026). A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry. Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 17(8), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080355

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A Reproducible Digital Workflow for Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Teeth with Anatomically Stratified Enamel and Multi-Material Caries for Preclinical Operative Dentistry

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