Materials and Applications of 3D Printing Technology in Dentistry: An Overview.

This review article gives an overview of the history and evolution of 3D printing technology, as well as its associated advantages and disadvantages. Current 3D printing technologies include stereolithography, digital light processing, fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering/melting, photopolymer jetting, powder binder, and 3D laser bioprinting. The main categories of 3D printing materials are polymers, metals, and ceramics. Despite limitations in printing accuracy and quality, 3D printing technology is now able to offer us a wide variety of potential applications in different fields of dentistry, including prosthodontics, implantology, oral and maxillofacial, orthodontics, endodontics, and periodontics. Understanding the existing spectrum of 3D printing applications in dentistry will serve to further expand its use in the dental field. Three-dimensional printing technology has brought about a paradigm shift in the delivery of clinical care in medicine and dentistry. The clinical use of 3D printing has created versatile applications which streamline our digital workflow. Technological advancements have also paved the way for the integration of new dental materials into dentistry.