Three-Dimensional Printing in Modern Dentistry: State of the Art, Benefits and Future Prospects

A Special Issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354) belonging to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2026) | Viewed by 1538

Editors


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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Al-do Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: dental prosthesis; dental materials; periodontology; zirconia; dental implants; oral surgery; minimal invasive dentistry; bone regeneration; digital dentistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ongoing development of CAD/CAM systems has enabled the growing incorporation of additive manufacturing techniques, also referred to as 3D printing, into contemporary dental practice. Once confined to prototyping, 3D printing is now a revolutionary advancement in clinical and laboratory workflows, providing unprecedented possibilities in both restorative and surgical dentistry. This Special Issue aims to provide an in-depth overview of additive manufacturing in dentistry today, including its practical applications, technological advancements, and future trends. From the 3D printing of stereolithographic models and orthodontic devices, such as aligners, to provisional crowns printed using resin-based materials and final restorations with printed composites or printed zirconia, 3D printing is revolutionizing the practice of dentistry.

Furthermore, applications of biocompatible materials for tissue engineering, exemplified by 3D printed scaffolds for bone, demonstrate the cross-disciplinary applicability of such technological advances.

We invite submissions that address the following:

  • Technological advancements in 3D printing technologies and materials for dental use;
  • Clinical applications of additive manufacturing in orthodontics, prosthodontics, and surgery;
  • Comparative investigations in terms of accuracy, mechanical behavior, and clinical results;
  • Advantages and drawbacks of 3D printing in day-to-day dental practice;
  • Bioengineering uses, such as bone regeneration and tissue scaffolds.
  • Future developments and incorporation into electronic operational practices.

Through the inclusion of research articles, case series, and in-depth reviews, this Special Issue will delineate the present landscape of additive manufacturing in dentistry and provide impetus for discussion on its future direction.

Dr. Saverio Capodiferro
Dr. Massimo Corsalini
Guest Editors

Dr. Giuseppe D'Albis
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • 3D printing
  • dentistry
  • CAD/CAM systems
  • biocompatible materials
  • clinical applications
  • tissue engineering

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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12 pages, 3741 KB  
Technical Note
Sustainable Production of Dental and Orthodontic 3D Models Through Fused Granular Fabrication of Recycled Polymers
by Jens Kruse, Malte Stonis, Julia Barasinski, Florian Konstantin Stangl and Hisham Sabbagh
Bioengineering 2026, 13(5), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13050558 - 15 May 2026
Viewed by 829
Abstract
Sustainable production in dental and orthodontic 3D printing has gained increasing attention due to environmental concerns and the need for cost-effective and resource-saving solutions. This study presents a proof of concept for using recycled polymers and fused granular fabrication (FGF) in a closed-loop [...] Read more.
Sustainable production in dental and orthodontic 3D printing has gained increasing attention due to environmental concerns and the need for cost-effective and resource-saving solutions. This study presents a proof of concept for using recycled polymers and fused granular fabrication (FGF) in a closed-loop 3D printing approach, omitting intermediate filament manufacturing. A desktop 3D printer served as the kinematic platform and was modified with a pellet-based extruder to directly process recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) flakes, obtained by shredding previously printed PETG parts, into dental models. Dimensional accuracy was evaluated using optical 3D scanning analysis. The results indicate that models produced from recycled PETG are, in principle, suitable for dental and orthodontic applications within the investigated scope. This technical note provides initial evidence supporting the integration of recycled thermoplastics into dental and orthodontic model fabrication as part of sustainable additive manufacturing workflows. Potential pathways for workflow integration in clinical and laboratory environments, as well as directions for future research, are outlined, including the optimization of printing parameters and process stability. The main technical challenges were unreliable feedstock flow, causing bridging and jamming, while thermal creep from insufficient inlet cooling promoted premature softening of the flakes, causing torque spikes and unstable feeding. Full article
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