The Applications of 3D Printing for Craniofacial Tissue Engineering

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology in the field of dentistry. It uses a layer-by-layer manufacturing technique to create scaffolds that can be used for dental tissue engineering applications. While several 3D printing methodologies exist, such as selective laser sintering or fused deposition modeling, this paper will review the applications of 3D printing for craniofacial tissue engineering; in particular for the periodontal complex, dental pulp, alveolar bone, and cartilage. For the periodontal complex, a 3D printed scaffold was attempted to treat a periodontal defect; for dental pulp, hydrogels were created that can support an odontoblastic cell line; for bone and cartilage, a polycaprolactone scaffold with microspheres induced the formation of multiphase fibrocartilaginous tissues. While the current research highlights the development and potential of 3D printing, more research is required to fully understand this technology and for its incorporation into the dental field.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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