Evaluation of optical and mechanical properties of crown materials produced by 3D printing.

BACKGROUND: The various advantages of crown materials produced using three-dimensional (3D) printers have increased their use in restorative and prosthetic dentistry in recent years. Accordingly, their optical and mechanical properties have become more important. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the mechanical, surface and optical properties of crown materials produced with 3D printing and computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), which has recently been used frequently in the clinic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3-point bending test was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of 2 different crown materials produced with 3D printing (Permanent Crown and VarseoSmile Crown Plus) and a crown material produced using CAD/CAM (Vita Enamic). After the initial color and surface roughness measurements were made, the specimens were immersed in 4 different solutions. RESULTS: The most translucent material was VarseoSmile Crown Plus (p < 0.05). In all specimens, coffee caused the most discoloration (p < 0.05). The effects of the solutions on the roughness were mostly observed in Permanent Crown specimens (p < 0.05). Vita Enamic showed the highest statistically significant values in terms of flexural strength (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The stereolithographic technique among the materials produced by 3D printing can be recommended for use in restorations due to its higher flexural strength.