Comparison of the marginal and internal fit of PMMA interim crowns printed with different layer thicknesses in 3D‐printing technique

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the effect of printing layer thickness on the marginal and internal fit of interim crowns. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A maxillary first molar model was prepared for ceramic restoration. Thirty‐six crowns were printed with three different layer thicknesses using a digital light processing‐based three‐dimensional printer (25, 50, and 100 µm [LT 25, LT 50, and LT 100]). The marginal and internal gaps of the crowns were measured with replica technique. An analysis of variance was conducted to determine if there were significant differences between the groups (ɑ = .05). RESULTS: The marginal gap of LT 100 group was significantly higher than that LT 25 (p = .002) and LT 50 groups (p ≤ .001). The LT 25 group has significantly larger axial gaps than LT 50 group (p = .013); however, there were no statistically significant differences between other groups. The LT 50 group showed the smallest axio‐occlusal gap. The mean occlusal gap differed significantly by printing layer thickness (p ≤ .001), with the largest gap occurring for LT 100. CONCLUSIONS: Provisional crowns printed with 50 µm layer thickness provided the best marginal and internal fit. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is recommended that provisional crowns be printed with a 50 µm layer thickness to ensure optimal marginal and internal fit.