GOALI: Multi-Materials Laser Densification for Dental Restorations

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The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) grant is to develop a solid freeform fabrication process, termed as Multi-Materials Laser Densification (MMLD), for dental restorations. There are currently between 10,000 and 15,000 dental laboratories in the US and a majority of these laboratories use porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) restoration for permanent fixed prosthodontics. PFM restoration is a very time consuming and labor intensive work. Labor costs account for about 90percent of the final cost to the patient, while dental materials only account for less than 5percent of the final cost. It is anticipated that with MMLD technology a dental restoration can be built in about one hour from a computer model without part-specific tooling and human intervention. As such, the labor cost of the dental restoration will be substantially reduced, while a better and faster service can be provided to dental patients. The eventual goal is to provide MMLD facilities as on-line stations for remote fabrication. At the end of this three-year project fixed single unit prosthodontic restorations will be demonstrated using the MMLD machine and the STL file of human tooth provided by the industrial partner.To achieve the goal set forth above, clear strategies have been defined to (i) investigate line-by-line and point-by-point powder delivery and localized laser densification of multiple materials, (ii) address various engineering challenges arising from complex laser-material interactions, mismatches of multiple materials, and small feature sizes due to the nature of dental restoration, and (iii) perform modeling and simulation so that dental restorations with adequate mechanical properties, desired aesthetic appearance, good dimensional accuracy and fine surface finish can be produced in a precise, economical and reproducible fashion. The PI plans to continue to encourage women and underrepresented minority undergraduate students to participate in this GOALI project. The research experiences in integrating materials laser processing, and solid freeform fabrication for biomedical applications provides students with a strong incentive to take on graduate education in this emerging area.