Effect of build orientation on the fracture resistance and marginal quality of 3D-printed anatomic provisional crowns: An in-vitro study.

Introduction: Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies have been increasingly used to fabricate provisional restorations in recent years. This study assessed how build orientation influences the fracture resistance and marginal quality of 3D-printed crowns compared with milled provisional crowns.

Methods: The test group included 3D-printed crowns (Freeprint temp Shade A2, Detax, Ettlingen, Germany), which were further subdivided based on print orientation (0°, 45°, and 90°; n = 10 for each subgroup). The control group (n = 10) included milled crowns (Coratemp, White Peaks, Germany) with the same design as those of the test group. The margin quality of each crown was assessed at 60 × magnification using a digital stereomicroscope. A load-to-fracture test was performed by applying a force at a rate of 2 mm/min to assess fracture resistance. One sample from each subgroup was also subjected to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis.

Results: The milled group exhibited the highest fracture resistance and marginal quality. Within the printed subgroups, the 0° group showed the best mean marginal quality, whereas the 90° group showed the lowest mean marginal quality (p < 0.05). Within the test groups, the 90° group had the highest mean fracture resistance (p < 0.05). In the SEM analysis, the milled group exhibited the most homogenous boundaries, whereas among the 3D-printed subgroups, the samples printed at 0° had the best margin quality.

Conclusion: The manufacturing method significantly influences the marginal quality and fracture resistance. Milled crowns demonstrated superior marginal quality and fracture resistance compared to those of 3D printed crowns. Furthermore, the print orientation of 0° led to the best marginal quality, whereas printing at 90° led to the highest fracture resistance.