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Objective: To compare the retentions of different designs of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr), pure titanium (CP Ti), and titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) removable partial denture (RPD) circumferential clasps manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM) and to analyze the stress distribution of these clasps during the removal from abutment teeth., Methods: Clasps with clasp arm size A (1.9 mm width/1.1 mm thickness at the body and 0.8-taper) or B (1.2 times A) and 0.25 mm or 0.50 mm undercut engagement were modeled on a prepared first premolar die, named as designs A1, A2, A3, and A4, respectively. The density and elastic modulus of SLM-built Co-Cr, CP Ti, and Ti-6Al-4V were measured and given to different groups of clasps. The density, elastic modulus, and Poisson ' s ratio of enamel were given to the die. The control group was the cast Co-Cr clasp with design A1, to which the density and elastic modulus of cast Co-Cr alloy were given. The Poisson's ratio of all metals was 0.33. The initial 5 N dislodging force was applied, and the maximum displacement of the clasp along the insertion path was computed. The load was reapplied with an increment of 5 N than in the last simulation until the clasp was completely dislodged. The retentive force range of different groups of clasps was obtained. The retentive forces of the SLM-built Co-Cr, CP Ti, and Ti-6Al-4V clasps with equivalent computed retentive force range to the control group were validated through the insertion/removal experiment. The von Mises stress distributions of these three groups of SLM-built clasps under 15 N loads were analyzed., Results: SLM-built Co-Cr, CP Ti, and Ti-6Al-4V clasps with designs B1 or B2, and Co-Cr clasps with design A2 had higher retentive forces than those of the control group. SLM-built CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V clasps with design A1 had lower retentive forces than those of the control group. SLM-built Co-Cr clasp with design A1 and SLM-built CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V clasps with design A2 had equivalent retentive forces to those of the control group. The insertion/removal experiment showed that the measured retentive forces of these three groups of SLM-built clasps were (21.57±5.41) N, (19.75±4.47) N, and (19.32±2.04) N, respectively. No statistically significant measured retentive force difference was found among these three groups of SLM-built clasps ( P >0.05). The maximum von Mises stress of these three groups of SLM-built clasps exceeded their responding yield strength except for the Ti-6Al-4V one., Conclusion: SLM-built Co-Cr circumferential clasps had higher retention than CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V ones with the same clasp arm size and undercut engagement. The retention of SLM-built circumferential clasps could be adjusted by changing the undercut engagement and clasp arm size. If SLM-built circumferential clasps are used in clinical practice, the Ti-6Al-4V clasp with clasp arm size A and 0.50 mm undercut engagement is recommended considering the long-term use of RPD in the patient's mouth.

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of multi-color and multi-hardness dental models printed by using the photopolymer jetting (PJ) technology, and to provide protocol for the clinical application. Methods: A maxillary partially edentulous (Kennedy class Ⅱ subclass 1) standard digital model obtained through scanning and processing was selected as reference data. Five monochromatic DLP (digital light processing) models with single hardness were printed by printer DLP-800d based on DLP technology (DLP group), and five multi-color and multi-hardness PJ models were printed by printer J300Plus based on PJ technology (PJ group). Scan the printed model and register the scanning data to the reference data in Geomagic Studio 2013 software. The three-dimensional (3D) deviations of the whole and each area, including residual dentition, abutments adjacent to the edentulous area, gingiva, gingiva in the distal-extended edentulous area, gingiva in other edentulous areas, gingiva supporting the removable partial denture (RPD), were calculated and represented by the root mean square error (RMS) value. The smaller the RMS value was, the higher the trueness of printing was. The scanning data of the five models in the same group were registered in pairs to calculate the 3D deviation. The smaller the RMS value was, the higher the precision of printing was. The threshold of clinical acceptability was 200 μm. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the difference of trueness and precision between the two groups. Results: The overall trueness of the DLP group [57.70 (2.10) μm] was significantly better than that of the PJ group [71.00 (7.70) μm]. The overall precision of the DLP group [15.20 (5.05) μm] was significantly better than that of the PJ group [37.55 (15.55) μm]. The overall trueness and precision of both groups were within the clinically acceptable range. Conclusions: The domestic PJ printer used in this study can print multi-color and multi-hardness dental models with good trueness and precision, which can provide integrated 3D printing technology support for realizing the simulation of regional hardness differentiation between soft and hard tissues of dental models.

Computer aided design, numerically controlled milling, additive manufacturing and other digital technologies have been widely used in clinical practice of prosthodontics. The application of these technologies not only changed the design and manufacturing workflow of removable partial denture (RPD), but also improved the production efficiency of dentures, and changed the design and manufacturing concept of dentures. A large number of researches on computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) of RPD have emerged in recent years, including researches on the properties of selective laser melting metal powder and other new dental materials, the innovative design of retainers, connectors, artificial teeth and other denture components, high precision manufacturing of the RPD framework, denture base and artificial teeth, quantitative laboratory evaluations of the accuracy, adaption and mechanical properties of RPD with new structures and made of new materials, clinical evaluations of RPD and others. This paper introduces these recent developments in CAD/CAM of RPD.