Improving 3D printing of lithium disilicate

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 22. April 2026

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JINAN, China: 3D printing of lithium disilicate still faces challenges in achieving precise results. The material’s high transparency allows laser light to spread beyond the area to be polymerised, reducing the accuracy of the printed restoration. To address this issue, researchers have recently explored a novel solution that incorporates carbon and zinc oxide into the lithium disilicate slurry used for 3D printing. The approach substantially enhanced printing accuracy and may support the further development of higher-precision lithium disilicate restorations.

According to the researchers, current strategies to improve the printing accuracy of highly transparent ceramics offer only modest gains in accuracy and may be limited by processing complexity or difficulties removing additives introduced to control how the material interacts with light during printing. In this laboratory study, the researchers used carbon powder because it absorbs stray light very effectively, but burns away during sintering so would not permanently darken the lithium disilicate. However, because it can block too much light and thus weaken layer bonding, they added zinc oxide to reduce excessive light absorption.

They found that the carbon powder minimised light scattering, greatly improving printing accuracy, and that the zinc oxide enhanced polymerisation depth and better bonding between printed layers and promoted densification during sintering. The incorporation of both additives into the lithium disilicate slurry made the printed lithium disilicate stronger and more resistant to cracking. Moreover, the researchers found that the printed lithium disilicate exhibited sustained antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli for over five days, thanks to the zinc oxide.

“From the perspective of optical regulation mechanisms, this strategy not only resolves the precision issues caused by light scattering but also achieves simultaneous enhancement of strength and toughness,” said senior researcher Dr Gaoqi Wang of the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Jinan in a press release.

The study builds on the wider momentum in ceramic additive manufacturing, highlighted in Dental Tribune International’s recent coverage of laser-assisted melt printing. While the laser-assisted melt printing approach explored printing of glass and ceramics that does not involve sintering, the current study addresses the material-specific limitations of lithium disilicate, showing how targeted changes to material composition and optical behaviour may help bring high-precision ceramic 3D printing closer to practical application. Although the findings have important implications for dentistry, further research is needed before the material’s clinical applicability can be assessed.

The study, titled “Composite powder design strategy enabling vat photopolymerization 3D printing of lithium disilicate glass-ceramics with high precision, strength, and antibacterial properties”, was published online in the March 2026 issue of the Journal of Advanced Ceramics.