3D Printing of custom Dental Shells with the long-term aim to prevent bacterial attachment and promote Enamel Regeneration

釉质是矿化程度最高的牙齿组织，表现出硬度，同时具有断裂和耐磨性。然而，经常摄入酸性食物和饮料以及机械磨损会永久性地破坏牙釉质的矿物质基质。在过去，许多研究试图合成哺乳动物的牙釉质。牙釉质再生的一个主要挑战是模仿天然牙釉质的等级结构。在这项研究中，一种3D打印的个性化牙壳正在开发中，它最终将抵抗细菌附着并内化釉质再生中介矿物。牙壳的几何形状来自门牙的3D模型，并使用SLA(立体平版印刷)制造。AM(添加制造)工艺，如SLA、喷墨打印、双光子聚合等，允许对打印(纳米)结构进行严格控制，并实现高度个性化，这在医疗保健应用中至关重要。

Enamel is the most highly mineralised tooth tissue, showing hardness, whilst being fracture and wear resistant. However, the regular intake of acidic food and drinks as well as mechanical abrasion destruct the enamel's mineral matrix permanently. In the past, numerous studies have attempted to synthetically produce mammal enamel. A major challenge in enamel regeneration is to mimic the hierarchical structure of natural enamel.In this study, a 3D printed individualised tooth shell, which eventually shall resist bacterial attachment and internalise enamel regeneration mediating minerals, is being developed. The tooth shell's geometry is derived from a 3D model of an incisor tooth and manufactured using SLA (Stereolithography). AM (Additive Manufacturing) processes such as SLA, Ink Jet Printing, Two-Photon Polymerization, etc. allow tight control over printed (nano) structures and enable a high degree of individualisation, which is of paramount importance in healthcare applications.