Development of customized intraoral radiographic positioners using three-dimensional printing

Resumo

To demonstrate the use of a three-dimensional (3D) printer for the development of a customized intraoral radiographic positioner. Material and methods: Initially, the device was drawn as a draft and then improved using AutoCad 3D (Autodesk Inc, USA) software. After the approval of the final draft, Standard Triangle Language (STL) files were generated to enable 3D printing. The resulting STL files were 3D printed with a Flashforge Hunter printer (FlashForge, Rowland Heights, California, USA) using a specific resin (Yller, Pelotas, Brazil). Results: It was demonstrated the ability to create a customized intraoral positioner, using a 3D printer, which was ready for initial testing and further improvement, as well as clinical testing after the approval in Ethics Committee. Conclusion: A wide range of customized dental items can be 3D printed to improve their characteristics, to create prototypes for testing or even to use on a large scale without expensive and protracted production stages.