Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of build direction on the surface roughness (Ra) of stereolithography (SLA)-printed full-coverage anterior dental restorations before and after surface polishing. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 full-coverage dental restorations were 3D printed using the SLA additive manufacturing technique. Five groups were defined based on the build angle: 90, 120, 135, 150, and 180 degrees. The Ra was measured with a contact profilometer to evaluate the arithmetic average of the absolute Ra value on the labial surface before and after polishing procedures. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, and statistical significance was set at alpha = .05. Results: The highest Ra was recorded in specimens printed with the 90-degree build angle, whereas the lowest values were recorded in specimens printed with the 180-degree build angle (P = .000). In all groups, the Ra values measured after polishing were significantly lower than prepolished values (P = .000), with no difference among the different build angles. Conclusion: Build angle significantly influenced the Ra of the SLA-printed full coverage restorations. Polishing minimized the effect of build angle on the Ra. The 180-degree build angle is recommended when SLA printing an anterior restoration, as it provides the lowest Ra values and also requires a minimal support area and minimal number of support structures.