Assessment of microbial adherence and patient satisfaction with conventional and digital 3D-printed complete removable dentures: A crossover randomized controlled clinical trial.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess and compare the effect of material type on microbial colonization over time and patient satisfaction between 3D-printed computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and conventional dentures.

Materials and methods: This crossover randomized controlled clinical trial included 11 completely edentulous patients, each receiving two types of complete dentures: conventional dentures (comparator group) and 3D-printed CAD-CAM dentures (intervention group). Patients were randomly assigned to begin with one set of dentures and then switched to the other after 3 months, with a washout period of 2 weeks. Microbiological assessments were conducted at three time points: at the time of denture insertion (T0), after 1 month (T1), and after 3 months (T2). Patient satisfaction was evaluated 3 months post-insertion.

Results: Microbial counts were significantly higher in the comparator group than in the intervention group at T1 (3.87 ± 0.07 vs. 3.78 ± 0.09, p = 0.023) and T2 (5.04 ± 0.03 vs. 4.98 ± 0.04, p < 0.001), with no significant difference at baseline (T0, p = 0.392). Both groups showed progressive increases in microbial counts over time; however, the comparator group consistently exhibited higher counts. Patient satisfaction was slightly higher in the intervention group (59 [57-62]) compared with the comparator group (58 [56-61]), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.230).

Conclusion: The 3D-printed CAD-CAM dentures exhibited significantly lower microbial counts than conventional dentures throughout the 3 months. Additionally, patient satisfaction was slightly higher with 3D-printed dentures; however, the difference was not statistically significant.