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Polymers for Dental Applications: From New Materials and Processes to Clinical Translation

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 796

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: resins; dental implants; removable prosthodontics; fixed prosthodontics; addictive manufacturing; biomechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Operative Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: operative dentistry; dental materials; composite resins; adhesive systems; dental adhesion; bond strength; adhesive restorations; clinical trials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Polymers invites authors to submit original research articles and reviews on polymers for dental applications, including studies that focus on new materials, process innovations, and/or new applications with the potential for clinical translation. Submissions should elucidate structure–process–property relationships that affect trueness/precision, surface quality, bonding, wear, fatigue, and color stability. The effects of orientation, supports, washing/curing, printing parameters, and aging (such as water storage, thermocycling, and UV) should also be considered. Reports on biocompatibility and regulatory conformity (ISO/ADA) are encouraged, as well as sustainability (recycling, waste reduction, LCA) and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Clinically-oriented investigations are particularly welcome, including but not limited to topics such as surgical guides, occlusal splints, removable prostheses and try-ins, provisional and definitive restorations, implant components, orthodontic and maxillofacial devices, and scaffold strategies.

By bridging materials science with clinical studies, this Special Issue aims to define best practices and accelerate reliable, reproducible, and patient-centered polymers in dentistry.

Dr. Ana Messias
Dr. Alexandra Vinagre
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • addictive manufacturing
  • FFF
  • SLA
  • DLP
  • polymers
  • resin
  • thermoplastics
  • dentistry
  • prosthodontics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 5027 KB  
Article
Surface Properties of Dental Materials Influence the In Vitro Multi-Species Biofilm Formation
by Sabina Noreen Wuersching, David Manghofer, Bogna Stawarczyk, Jan-Frederik Gueth and Maximilian Kollmuss
Polymers 2026, 18(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18020288 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 541
Abstract
This study examined the association between biofilm growth and surface properties of 3D printed, milled, and conventional materials used for manufacturing fixed dental prostheses. Disc-shaped specimens were produced and finished from five 3D-printing resins (VarseoSmile Crown plus [VSC], NextDent C&B MFH [ND], VarseoSmile [...] Read more.
This study examined the association between biofilm growth and surface properties of 3D printed, milled, and conventional materials used for manufacturing fixed dental prostheses. Disc-shaped specimens were produced and finished from five 3D-printing resins (VarseoSmile Crown plus [VSC], NextDent C&B MFH [ND], VarseoSmile Temp [VST], Temp PRINT [TP], P Pro Crown & Bridge [P]), two polymer milling blocks (composite: TetricCAD [TC], PMMA: TelioCAD [TEL]), two conventional polymer materials (Tetric EvoCeram [TEC], Protemp 4 [PT]), and zirconia (ZR). Surface roughness (Ra), wettability, interfacial tension (IFT) and surface topography were examined. Three-day biofilms were grown on the specimens using A. naeslundii, S. gordonii, S. mutans, S. oralis, and S. sanguinis in a multi-species suspension. Biofilms were quantified by crystal violet staining and with a plating and culture method (CFU/mL). Linear regression analysis was computed to demonstrate associations between the surface properties and biofilm growth. The strength of this relationship was quantified by calculating Spearman’s ρ. TC exhibited the highest, and TP the lowest IFT. TEC showed the highest Ra, while TEL had the lowest, with significant differences detected particularly between milled and 3D-printed specimens. TP specimens exhibited the highest biofilm mass, while ZR surfaces retained the least. Bacterial viability within the biofilms remained similar across all tested materials. There was a strong negative correlation between total IFT and biofilm mass, and a moderate positive correlation between Ra and CFU/mL. Surface properties are shaped by material composition, microstructure, and manufacturing methods and play a crucial role in biofilm formation on dental restorations. Full article
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