Overview of clinical and laboratory evaluation results of the effectiveness of digital methods for knowledge-based fabrication of complete removable acrylic dentures

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the conceptual studies of modern digital technologies for the fabrication of complete removable acrylic dentures. Analysis of data of subtractive and additive methods of digital manufacturing shows the advantages of digital CAD/CAM methods over traditional methods. The use of known prepolymerized acrylic blocks in the subtractive milling method has enabled achieving high physical and mechanical properties, optimal spatial accuracy, and minimal thickness of the fabricated dentures. Moreover, residual monomer volume reduction in solid polymer blocks has allowed the high biological inertness and safety of the fabricated structures for prosthetic bed tissues and the patient’s body. Layer-by-layer printing of removable dentures by fused polymer deposition modeling technology results in high spatial accuracy of constructing structures of any degree of complexity and reduced total production time of removable dentures.
 Despite the intensity of implementation of digital CAD/CAM technologies in the practice of complete removable denture manufacturing, the search for alternative methods of modernization of the known traditional means and methods continues. However, we believe that automation and digitalization of the clinical and laboratory manufacturing of complete removable acrylic dentures has clear prospects for the total replacement of compression pressing and hot polymerization techniques of acrylates. In summary, the potential prospect in the future is a global reassessment of traditional concepts for the fabrication of complete removable dentures, considering the formation of an innovative digital CAD/CAM philosophy and the introduction of computer intelligent systems.