Radioprotection Performance Evaluation of 3D-Printed and Conventional Heat-Cured Dental Resins for Radiotherapy Prostheses.

Abstract

3D printing is increasingly used in dentistry, with biocompatible resins playing a key role. This study compared the radioprotective properties of a commonly used 3D-printed resin (Formlabs surgical guide resin) with traditional heat-cured resin and examined the relationship between material thickness and radiation attenuation. The specimens consisted of 3D-printed and heat-cured resin specimens, each measuring 45 × 45 mm², with five different thicknesses (6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm), totaling 100 samples. Both types of resin specimens underwent testing with 150 MU external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and 400 cGy brachytherapy. Radiation experiments indicated that under EBRT conditions, there were no significant differences in radiation attenuation between the 3D-printed and heat-cured resins across all thickness groups. In brachytherapy, the attenuation of the 3D-printed resin was significantly lower than the heat-cured resin in the 6 mm and 8 mm groups. Specifically, attenuation rates were 48.0 ± 0.7 (3D-printed) vs. 45.2 ± 1.9 (heat-cured) in the 6 mm group, and 39.6 ± 1.3 vs. 37.5 ± 1.1 in the 8 mm group. Both resins showed significant positive linear correlations between thickness and attenuation (p < 0.001) within 6-14 mm. Thus, 3D-printed resin shows promising radioprotective properties and is a viable alternative to traditional heat-cured resin.