Fracture Resistance of CAD-CAM Interim Crowns Fabricated by Additive Versus Subtractive Manufacturing: An In Vitro Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/xs2z9z62

Keywords:

Computer-aided design; Printing, three-dimensional; Fracture resistance; Dental materials.

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has gained increasing popularity for the fabrication of interim restorations because of its efficiency, reduced material waste, and workflow flexibility. However, concerns remain regarding the mechanical reliability of additively manufactured materials compared with CAD-CAM-milled restorations. This in vitro study compared the fracture resistance of interim crowns fabricated by additive manufacturing and CAD-CAM milling. Twenty standardized interim crowns were digitally designed and distributed into two groups according to the manufacturing technique (n=10): additively manufactured crowns fabricated with a ceramic-filled nanohybrid resin using LCD technology, and CAD-CAM-milled crowns fabricated from prepolymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) blocks. Fracture resistance was evaluated under compressive loading using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min until failure. Data were analyzed with the Shapiro-Wilk test and independent t test (α=.05). CAD-CAM-milled crowns demonstrated significantly higher fracture resistance than additively manufactured crowns, with mean values of 439.1±24.0 kgf (4306±235 N) and 244.7±34.9 kgf (2399±342 N), respectively. The findings suggest that the manufacturing technique significantly influences the mechanical performance of interim restorations, with CAD-CAM-milled PMMA crowns exhibiting greater resistance to compressive loading under the conditions evaluated.

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References

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Published

2026-07-24