Occlusal devices 3d-printed in different orientations: a trueness analysis

• Grant number: 23/14886-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 04, 2024
• End date: March 03, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Macedo
• Grantee: Sarah Ribeiro Cruz Araújo
• Supervisor: Maria Helena Guimaraes Figueiral da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/05068-4 - Analysis of physical and mechanical properties before and after thermocycling of printed resins used for making occlusal splints., BP.IC

Abstract

Occlusal devices, commonly used for temporomandibular disorders and bruxism, face manufacturing challenges when incorporating new technologies into their workflow. Among the factors that can affect their quality, it is the orientation of the device on the building platform, which hypothetically may generate dimensional discrepancies in itself. In this context, this research project aims to assess the influence of different 3D-printing orientations on the trueness of occlusal devices and compare it with conventional occlusal devices. To achieve this objective, an occlusal device will be obtained from a dry skull using the conventional manufacturing technique with polymethyl methacrylate. This occlusal device will be scanned using a laboratory scanner to obtain its digital data in STL (Standard Tessellation Language) format (reference mesh). Subsequently, this file will be 3D-printed considering three different angles on the building platform (0, 45 and 70°). After 3D-printed, it will be scanned using a laboratory scanner, resulting in digital STL files of the experimental occlusal devices (n=30). Then, the digital occlusal devices will be compared to the reference mesh using mesh inspection software (Geomagic, 3D Systems, USA) through both qualitative analysis (using color map) and quantitative analysis (involving the root mean square). The data obtained will be analyzed according to classical statistical concepts after an exploratory data analysis. If there is homogeneity of variance and normal distribution of the mathematical model curves, quantitative data evaluation will be conducted using analysis of variance. If not, a non-parametric test will be employed. The results of this study will provide evidence about the impact of a current digital manufacturing method for occlusal devices and will enable the dental professionals to choose the most suitable 3D-printing orientation for producing occlusal devices.