Digital and 3D-Printed Dental Appliances: Materials, Design, and Clinical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has profoundly transformed contemporary prosthodontic and orthodontic practice. In particular, additive manufacturing has emerged as a key enabling technology for the fabrication of patient-specific dental appliances, allowing unprecedented control over design, material distribution, and manufacturing precision. The increasing clinical adoption of 3D-printed removable and fixed prostheses, orthodontic aligners, and adjunctive orthodontic devices reflects both technological maturity and a growing body of supporting scientific evidence. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain with regard to material performance, manufacturing accuracy, biomechanical behavior, and long-term clinical outcomes.

The primary aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of current research on 3D-printed dental appliances within the domains of prosthodontics and orthodontics. The scope of the Special Issue aligns closely with that of the journal Prosthesis by focusing on digitally fabricated prosthetic solutions, while also acknowledging the expanding role of orthodontic devices as integral components of modern digital prosthetic workflows. By addressing both disciplines within a unified framework, this Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and advance evidence-based digital dental care.

This Special Issue invites high-quality original research articles and authoritative review papers addressing fundamental and applied aspects of additive manufacturing in dentistry. Contributions are encouraged that examine digital design strategies, material properties, manufacturing accuracy, post-processing protocols, and clinical performance of 3D-printed prosthetic and orthodontic appliances. Particular emphasis is placed on removable and fixed prosthodontic restorations, 3D-printed orthodontic aligners, and digitally manufactured orthodontic devices, as well as their mechanical, biological, and biomechanical behavior. Studies reporting in vitro, in vivo, and clinical investigations, as well as systematic and narrative reviews synthesizing current evidence, are especially welcome.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Additive manufacturing technologies in prosthetic and orthodontic dentistry.
• 3D-printed removable and fixed prosthodontic restorations.
• Digitally fabricated orthodontic aligners and orthodontic devices.
• Dental materials for additive manufacturing.
• The accuracy, fit, and dimensional stability of printed dental appliances.
• CAD/CAM workflows and digital design strategies.
• The mechanical and biomechanical performance of 3D-printed devices.
• The clinical outcomes and long-term performance of digitally fabricated appliances.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Luka Šimunović
Prof. Dr. Samir Čimić
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. Prosthesis is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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.

• three-dimensional printing
• additive manufacturing
• prosthodontics
• orthodontic devices
• digital dentistry
• dental materials
• CAD/CAM