Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies have been widely used to manufacture crowns and frameworks for fixed dental prostheses. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the reliability of the marginal fit of 3D-printed cobalt-chromium-based fixed dental prostheses in comparison to conventional casting methods. Articles published until 25 June 2020, reporting the marginal fit of fixed prostheses fabricated with metal 3D printing, were searched using electronic literature databases. After the screening and quality assessment, 21 eligible peer-reviewed articles were selected. Meta-analysis revealed that the marginal gap of the prostheses manufactured using 3D printing was significantly smaller compared to that manufactured using casting methods (standard mean difference (95% CI): −0.92 (−1.45, −0.38); Z = −3.37; p = 0.0008). The estimated difference between the single and multi-unit types did not differ significantly (p = 0.3573). In the subgroup analysis for the measurement methods, the tendency of marginal discrepancy between the 3D printing and casting groups was significantly different between articles that used direct observation and those that used the silicone replica technique (p < 0.001). Metal 3D printing technologies appear reliable as an alternative to casting methods in terms of the fit of the fixed dental prostheses. In order to analyze the factors influencing manufacturing and confirm the results of this review, further controlled laboratory and clinical studies are required.

Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry (JOCPD) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal, which is currently indexed in SCIE, etc., aming to provide clinically relevant information to enable the practicing dentist to have access to the state of the art in pediatric dentistry.

Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry (JOCPD) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal, which is currently indexed in SCIE, etc., aming to provide clinically relevant information to enable the practicing dentist to have access to the state of the art in pediatric dentistry.

This study aimed to evaluate the needs of dentists, dental technicians, dental hygienists, and dental-related workers in terms of dental computer-aided design (CAD) software and artificial intelligence (AI). Based on a factor analysis, 57 survey items were assigned to six categories: (a) considerations when purchasing dental CAD software; (b) prosthesis design process; (c) dental CAD function; (d) use of AI dental CAD crown and denture design; (e) impact of AI; and (f) improvements in AI features. Overall, 93 participants were included in the study, and the reliability of the resultant survey data was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Statistically significant factors in each category were identified using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s honestly significant difference test (α = 0.05). The results revealed that design quality, design convenience and reproducibility, margin line setting, and automatic margin setting were considered most important in their respective categories (p < 0.05). There were also significant differences in the importance of certain items, such as branding importance and functional diversity, among different dental personnel groups (p < 0.05). Design speed and convenience were also found to be more important to dentists and dental hygienists compared to other dental personnel (p < 0.05). The importance of specific survey items varied significantly based on age, dental personnel, and work experience groups. Dental personnel, such as dentists and dental technicians, assigned greater importance to certain factors, such as branding, functional diversity, design speed, and compatibility with CAM equipment, compared to other occupational groups.

This article paper investigates the effectiveness of innovation financing systems by examining the structural equation modeling (SEM) that imputes relationships among latent variables including innovation financing, technology innovation competency, financial performance and non-financial performance of innovative SMEs in Korea. It is identified that innovation financing increases not only technological innovation competency but also business performance of innovative SMEs in Korea. Meanwhile, innovation competency decreases financial performance of firms and increases non-financial performance. These findings are helpful to policy makers in developing countries which should allocate scarce resources efficiently for its economic growth. Providing innovation financing through technology appraisal to innovative SMEs has the potential to grow into one of the most efficient financial policies.