3D printing of teeth from micro-CT scans for the purpose of research and training

Within dental education, there is a distinct need for hands-on pre-clinical training before a patient's treatment is carried out for the first time. Throughout the years, numerous techniques have been developed to teach students the anatomy and to perform various dental treatments. Artificial teeth are used and have widely been replicated with transparent resins in which the pulp chamber and root canals are distinguishable with different colours. However, extracted human teeth remain one of the most popular techniques used during pre-clinical endodontic training. Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages, with the standard practice being a combination of artificial models and extracted human teeth during pre-clinical training. Extracted teeth, for many years, were exclusively used in dental education. However, the use of extracted teeth has its disadvantages; such as the possibility of cross-infection, being potentially infectious to students; the unavailability of these teeth and anatomical variability of extracted teeth, meaning valid assessment for students is not uniform. Currently, artificial teeth models have been made using opaque and transparent resin to reproduce features of natural teeth for teaching purposes. The benefits of artificial teeth are that they do not have the risk of infection, are available in large quantities, allow for validated assessment through their uniformity, can be different to offer anatomical challenges, and can be three-dimensionally (3D) printed into training models for simulation-based medical education. However, based on previous studies, students perceived artificial teeth as unsatisfactory because of the physical characteristics of these teeth, making them more difficult to treat compared to natural teeth. Despite the reported difficulties, students recognised the advantages and suggested improvements, such as the hardness of resin teeth, to reflect the hardness of natural tissues.

Endodontic procedures performed by undergraduates' have a high frequency of failure, confirming the need for hands-on pre-clinical training before treatments on patients. The lack of uniformity in assessment, questions the validity of assessments. If students were provided with uniform teeth, a valid assessment could be carried out, and an artificial tooth with similar properties to extracted human teeth would prepare students for real-life environments.

The main aim of the study is to create an artificial tooth using data collected from X-ray microtomography (XMT) and is manufactured by 3D printing techniques, for pre-clinical training. The artificial teeth must have similar mechanical and physical properties as extracted teeth to overcome the drawbacks of traditional artificial teeth and to offer dental students a realistic simulation of clinical treatments.

1. Collect high definition datasets using XMT from extracted human teeth, with the premise of 3D printing this data into 3D models.
2. Develop a method of converting extracted human teeth datasets into a workable 3D model file, suitable for 3D printing.
3. Measure and record the mechanical properties of extracted teeth and to compare to artificial teeth.
4. Develop a material/s that mimic the mechanical properties of an extracted human tooth that can be used in 3D printing.
5. Create an artificial tooth that mimics the physical properties of extracted human teeth to be used in dental training that can be used to standardise current assessment methods.