3D printing paves the way for advanced scaffolds.

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 3. March 2025

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BRISBANE, Australia: A team of biomedical researchers at the University of Queensland in Brisbane have undertaken a groundbreaking study that demonstrates the unique capacity of 3D printing to generate scaffolds that can be placed along damaged or degraded sections of the alveolar ridge to promote bone regeneration and subsequent dental implantation. As described in the study, this cutting-edge process marks a significant step forwards in integrating additive manufacturing technologies into clinical practice and stands to transform the practice of dentistry.

The breakthrough technique, which employs a patient-specific, resorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold, has demonstrated significant bone growth and implant stability in clinical trials. The first-of-its-kind study details a case in which a 46-year-old patient underwent staged alveolar ridge augmentation using a 3D-printed PCL scaffold to restore the alveolar defect and allow replacement of his maxillary right central incisor with a dental implant. The scaffold was loaded with autogenous and xenogeneic bone and covered with a resorbable collagen membrane. Over six months, the new bone more than filled the volume of the bone defect, sufficient to support a dental implant, and the implant achieved good primary stability.

“The bone scaffolds are custom designed for the patient, effectively regenerate jaw bone and are completely resorbable, so there is no need for additional surgery to remove them,” according to lead author Prof. Sašo Ivanovski, head of the university’s School of Dentistry, in a university press release.

What these findings mean for dentistry

This approach modifies guided bone regeneration to address the limitations of resorbable membranes, which lack stability for regeneration of vertical or complex defects. Titanium-reinforced PTFE membranes and off-the-shelf titanium meshes offer structural support but require precise intra-operative shaping, and their removal may need extended surgical procedures and larger mucoperiosteal flaps.

Custom titanium meshes improve adaptation, but still necessitate second-stage removal and carry a high risk of postoperative wound dehiscence. In contrast, 3D-printed PCL scaffolds offer a tailored, less invasive alternative that is biocompatible and gradually resorbs over time, eliminating the need for removal surgery.

The study also found that the scaffold effectively stabilised the bone grafting particles and encouraged natural bone regeneration. Histological analysis revealed continuous new bone formation and successful integration with the surrounding tissue.

Postoperative recovery was remarkably smooth, and the patient reported minimal pain and no complications. Since this initial success, a further nine patients have been treated in this manner with PCL scaffolds printed at the university.

The future of 3D-printed bone regeneration

The researchers believe that this scaffold-guided bone regeneration technique could soon be widely adopted in clinical dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, addressing complex bone defects beyond dental applications.

With ongoing trials and improvements in biodegradable materials and 3D-printing precision, the technology is poised to redefine how dentists and surgeons approach jaw reconstruction. As lead biomedical engineer Dr Reuben Staples put it, ““There is still more to be done in this field, but it’s exciting to see this success.”

The study, titled “Alveolar bone regeneration using a 3D-printed patient-specific resorbable scaffold for dental implant placement: A case report”, was published in the December 2024 issue of Clinical Oral Implants Research.