Ultra-fast 3D-printing of zirconia dental restorations

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 28. October 2025

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DALLAS, US: Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have introduced a novel approach to ceramic 3D printing that could streamline the production of zirconia components for dental applications. By rethinking one of the most time- and energy-intensive stages of the vat photopolymerisation process, the team has demonstrated a method that enables faster and more efficient production without compromising quality.

In conventional ceramic 3D printing, before the restoration can be sintered, the resin that binds the zirconia particles must be burned out in a high-temperature step known thermal debinding, a process that can take between 20 and 100 hours. This lengthy step not only drives up production costs, but also limits the practicality of vat photopolymerisation for the production of zirconia restorations. In response to this challenge, the researchers developed a technique that removes the resin in less than half an hour.

To achieve this improvement, the team combined innovative heating and vacuum technologies designed to speed up the removal of resin binders while preserving the precision and strength of the printed zirconia. The process uses porous graphite felt to achieve rapid, high-temperature heating, while a vacuum system efficiently removes gases released during binder burn-out.

Prof. Majid Minary (left) and mechanical engineering doctoral student Mahdi Mosadegh are part of a team aiming to advance the commercialisation of chairside 3D-printed ceramic zirconia dental restorations. (Image: The University of Texas at Dallas)

According to the researchers, the new approach reduces processing times by up to 200-fold and cuts energy use by 3,500-fold compared with conventional methods. Despite the rapid heating cycle, the zirconia components produced using the technique show structural integrity and material properties equivalent to those achieved with standard debinding. According to a university press release, the technology could be broadly applied to a range of ceramic dental restorations and is being developed for commercial use with support from the US National Science Foundation.

Senior author Dr Majid Minary, professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the university, commented in the press release: “We are excited to be advancing the commercialisation of chairside 3D-printed, all-ceramic zirconia permanent dental restorations.” He added: “Because the crowns can be custom printed for each patient on the same day, this approach offers greater personalisation, faster treatment and the convenience of receiving a permanent restoration in a single visit.”

The authors note that 3D-printed restorations offer greater customisation and efficiency, potentially lowering production costs and material waste. Currently, same-day 3D-printed crowns rely on ceramic-filled resins, which lack the strength of zirconia. Existing technology for same-day zirconia crowns is based on subtractive manufacturing processes, which pose challenges related to design complexity and the risk of microcracking during production and sintering.

“Debinding has been the bottleneck in the process,” Prof. Minary said. He went on to explain: “It must be done very slowly. If you speed it up, the polymer being burned off turns into gas, and if that gas cannot escape, the crown may crack or fracture. A debinding time of 20 to 100 hours is not practical for same-day dental service. As a result, 3D-printed permanent zirconia restorations are not yet commercially available.”

Prof. Minary’s team and its collaborating partner, Pan-Am Dental Laboratory, recently received a National Science Foundation grant of US$550,000 (€473,000*) to advance commercialisation of the technology.

The study, titled “Single-step thermal debinding for ceramics vat photopolymerization in less than 30 minutes”, was published in September 2025 in Ceramics International.

Editorial note:

* Calculated on the OANDA platform for 27 October 2025.