Project title: Development of new generation, non-toxic, antibacterial resins with 3D printer for the dental industry to produce temporary crowns and bridges

Principal investigator: Msc. Eng. Monika Topa-Skwarczyńska

Obtained funds: 1 499 125 PLN

Project duration:

Start day: 2023-02-01

End day: 2026-01-31

Funding institution:

NCBiR - National Centre for Research and Development

Short disctoption of the project:

Currently, available resins in the market for the fabrication of prosthetic materials for temporary crowns and bridges have several limitations such as toxicity of ingredients, high polymerization shrinkage, and lack of color stability. Therefore, a detailed research plan covering application and development issues has been proposed to develop new resins and a compatible 3D printer. A resin for dental applications must consist of two key components with well-defined properties. The first is a mixture of monomers that constitutes the organic matrix. In the project proposed by the Applicant, it is planned to use, among others, epoxy monomers characterized by significantly reduced polymerization shrinkage, lack of toxicity, and absence of characteristic odor. An important aspect is also the selection of suitable initiators or initiator systems, which constitute the second important component of the resin. The project plans to synthesize a photoinitiator characterized by high efficiency. High efficiency of the initiator system is required because the photopolymerization process should be carried out in the shortest possible time, and the monomer conversion rate should be close to 100% so that there is no unreacted monomer. The next stage will be a modification of the project and construction of a 3D printer with software compatible with the developed resins, as well as safety tests of the developed resins and printouts with in vitro methods and testing of mechanical properties of the obtained printouts. Consequently, the aim of the project is to develop a complete solution for the dental industry in the form of the preparation of light-cured resins with unique properties by using a new mechanism of photo-curing and a compatible 3D printer to enable fast and precise 3D printing with high resolution.