Abstract
Polymers are the most commonly used material for three-dimensional (3D) printing in dentistry; however, the high porosity and water absorptiveness of the material adversely influence biofilm formation on the surface of the 3D-printed dental prostheses. This study evaluated the effects of a newly developed chlorhexidine (CHX)-loaded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based coating material on the surface microstructure, surface wettability and antibacterial activity of 3D-printing dental polymer. First, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were used to encapsulate CHX, and the combination was added to PDMS to synthesize the antibacterial agent-releasing coating substance. Then, a thin coating film was formed on the 3D-printing polymer specimens using oxygen plasma and thermal treatment. The results show that using the coating substance significantly reduced the surface irregularity and increased the hydrophobicity of the specimens. Remarkably, the culture media containing coated specimens had a significantly lower number of bacterial colony formation units than the noncoated specimens, thereby indicating the effective antibacterial activity of the coating.
Highlights
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is an additive manufacturing method in which a 3D object is formed by adding successive layers of material [1,2]
Dentistry has benefited from the rapid expansion of 3D-printing methods, especially in the field of prosthesis manufacturing [3,4,5]
The 3D-printing technology used in dentistry is classified into four main categories: extrusion printing, inkjet printing, laser melting/sintering, and stereolithography printing [3]
Summary
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is an additive manufacturing method in which a 3D object is formed by adding successive layers of material [1,2]. Dentistry has benefited from the rapid expansion of 3D-printing methods, especially in the field of prosthesis manufacturing [3,4,5]. The 3D-printing technology used in dentistry is classified into four main categories: extrusion printing, inkjet printing, laser melting/sintering, and stereolithography printing [3]. Those printing methods are based on the principle of layered manufacturing, which is more suitable than conventional casting and milling methods for producing individualized complex structures [6]. Recent studies have shown that 3D-printed dental prostheses had a clinically acceptable degree of precision [3,6,7]
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