Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a technology that allows zirconia dental restorations—including crowns, bridges, and veneers—to be 3D printed and completed in a single day.
Traditional milled zirconia crowns are prone to microcracking and limited design flexibility. The new 3D-printing process aims to overcome these issues while improving customization, color matching, and production efficiency. It may also reduce cost and material waste.
Currently, most same-day 3D-printed crowns are made from ceramic resins, which are weaker than zirconia. While same-day zirconia crowns exist, they are produced via milling, which is time-consuming and restricts complex designs.
The University of Texas at Dallas team tackled a key bottleneck in 3D-printed zirconia production: post-printing processing. Zirconia traditionally requires a slow debinding process of up to 100 hours to remove resin before sintering to achieve strength. Using advanced heat transfer techniques and porous graphite felt, researchers cut this step to under 30 minutes.
“With our technology, if a practitioner wants to offer a 3D-printed zirconia crown chair-side, they could provide it to a patient within just a few hours,” said Majid Minary, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering at the university.
The technology, supported by a $550,000 U.S. National Science Foundation grant, still requires clinical testing and regulatory approval before commercial availability. Researchers are optimistic that same-day zirconia restorations could soon become a reality.
