Precision and trueness of dental models manufactured with different 3-dimensional printing techniques

Introduction In this study, we assessed the precision and trueness of dental models printed with 3-dimensional (3D) printers via different printing techniques. Methods Digital reference models were printed 5 times using stereolithography apparatus (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), fused filament fabrication (FFF), and the PolyJet technique. The 3D printed models were scanned and evaluated for tooth, arch, and occlusion measurements. Precision and trueness were analyzed with root mean squares (RMS) for the differences in each measurement. Differences in measurement variables among the 3D printing techniques were analyzed by 1-way analysis of variance (α = 0.05). Results Except in trueness of occlusion measurements, there were significant differences in all measurements among the 4 techniques ( P P P P P P Conclusions The 3D printing techniques showed significant differences in precision of all measurements and in trueness of tooth and arch measurements. The PolyJet and DLP techniques were more precise than the FFF and SLA techniques, with the PolyJet technique having the highest accuracy.