Comparison of 3D printed dental materials, their production methods, and properties relative to conventional dental materials [48, 55, 56]

MaterialProduction methodProperties (3D printed)Properties (conventional)
Polymeric resinsSLA or DLPBiocompatible, customizable, smooth finishMay lack customization, potentially less biocompatible depending on source
CeramicsBinder jetting or SLA with ceramic-filled resinsHigh strength, esthetic, biocompatibleHighly esthetic, durable, but less customizable
Metal alloys (e.g., cobalt-chrome)SLM or EBMDurable, high tensile strength, customizableExtremely durable, used for long-term restorations, not easily customizable
Thermoplastic materials (e.g., PEEK, PEKK)FDMDurable, biocompatible, flexible, good for temporary prostheticsDurable, but more suited for mass production
WaxFDM or SLA/DLP with wax-like resinsUseful for casting applications, easy to melt and shapeTraditional in lost-wax casting, manually shaped
Bioinks (for tissue engineering)BioprintingCan incorporate live cells, for potential tissue regenerationTraditional tissue grafts, less customizable
Composite resinsSLA/DLP with composite resinsCombination of ceramic and polymer; esthetic, durableOften hand-layered, with good esthetics but potentially less precision

PEEK: polyetheretherketone; PEKK: polyetherketoneketone; DLP: digital light processing; SLM: selective laser melting; EBM: electron beam melting