Three-dimensional (3D) printing of oral dental films (ODFs) using blended Compactcel® polymers through semi-solid extrusion (SSE) bioprinter

Abstract

This study aimed to prototype oral dental films (ODFs) loaded with diclofenac sodium (DS) using two different grades of CompactCel® polymers through a semi-solid extrusion (SSE) bioprinter. This three-dimensional (3D) printed ODFs were developed for the treatment of toothaches with immediate and sustained release features. Two different grades of CompactCel® polymers, CompactCel® P 002.02 SR and CompactCel® P Clear 194.04 SIL, with sustained and immediate release features, respectively, were explored in this study. A blend of CompactCel® polymers was found to be capable of forming hydrogels with the addition of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as a plasticizer to improve the foldability/flexibility of the developed ODFs. ODFs were 3D printed using an SSE bioprinter by varying the amount of DBP. All 3D bio-printed ODFs were analyzed systematically in terms of in vitro physicochemical characteristics, including drug content, drug release, and release kinetics models. The in vitro release graph of DS from ODFs showed an initial burst release of around 50–70% in 20 min followed by the sustained release of up to 150 min for all the formulations. The prototype ODFs showed dual drug delivery features in terms of initial fast release followed by sustained release. Thus, these ideal biomaterial combinations were explored for the first time to establish not only their pharmaceutical 3D bioprinting capabilities but also their potential for drug delivery applications.