A New Device for In Situ Dental Biofilm Collection Additively Manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering and Vat Photopolymerization

TY - JOUR

T1 - A New Device for In Situ Dental Biofilm Collection Additively Manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering and Vat Photopolymerization

AU - Rikvold, Pernille Thestrup

AU - Johnsen, Karina Kambourakis

AU - Leonhardt, Dirk

AU - Mollebjerg, Andreas

AU - Nielsen, Signe Maria

AU - Hansen, Lea Benedicte Skov

AU - Meyer, Rikke Louise

AU - Schlafer, Sebastian

PY - 2023/10

Y1 - 2023/10

N2 - Dental biofilms are complex medical biofilms that cause caries, the most prevalent disease of humankind. They are typically collected using handcrafted intraoral devices with mounted carriers for biofilm growth. As the geometry of handcrafted devices is not standardized, the shear forces acting on the biofilms and the access to salivary nutrients differ between carriers. The resulting variability in biofilm growth renders the comparison of different treatment modalities difficult. The aim of the present work was to design and validate an additively manufactured intraoral device with a dental bar produced by direct metal laser sintering and vat photopolymerized inserts with standardized geometry for the mounting of biofilm carriers. Additive manufacturing reduced the production time and cost, guaranteed an accurate fit of the devices and facilitated the handling of carriers without disturbing the biofilm. Biofilm growth was robust, with increasing thickness over time and moderate inter- and intraindividual variation (coefficients of variance 0.48-0.87). The biofilms showed the typical architecture and composition of dental biofilms, as evidenced by confocal microscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Deeper inserts offering increased protection from shear tended to increase the biofilm thickness, whereas prolonged exposure to sucrose during growth increased the biofilm volume but not the thickness. Ratiometric pH imaging revealed considerable pH variation between participants and also inside single biofilms. Intraoral devices for biofilm collection constitute a new application for medical additive manufacturing and offer the best possible basis for studying the influence of different treatment modalities on biofilm growth, composition, and virulence. The Clinical Trial Registration number is: 1-10-72-193-20.

AB - Dental biofilms are complex medical biofilms that cause caries, the most prevalent disease of humankind. They are typically collected using handcrafted intraoral devices with mounted carriers for biofilm growth. As the geometry of handcrafted devices is not standardized, the shear forces acting on the biofilms and the access to salivary nutrients differ between carriers. The resulting variability in biofilm growth renders the comparison of different treatment modalities difficult. The aim of the present work was to design and validate an additively manufactured intraoral device with a dental bar produced by direct metal laser sintering and vat photopolymerized inserts with standardized geometry for the mounting of biofilm carriers. Additive manufacturing reduced the production time and cost, guaranteed an accurate fit of the devices and facilitated the handling of carriers without disturbing the biofilm. Biofilm growth was robust, with increasing thickness over time and moderate inter- and intraindividual variation (coefficients of variance 0.48-0.87). The biofilms showed the typical architecture and composition of dental biofilms, as evidenced by confocal microscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Deeper inserts offering increased protection from shear tended to increase the biofilm thickness, whereas prolonged exposure to sucrose during growth increased the biofilm volume but not the thickness. Ratiometric pH imaging revealed considerable pH variation between participants and also inside single biofilms. Intraoral devices for biofilm collection constitute a new application for medical additive manufacturing and offer the best possible basis for studying the influence of different treatment modalities on biofilm growth, composition, and virulence. The Clinical Trial Registration number is: 1-10-72-193-20.

KW - additive manufacturing

KW - confocal microscopy

KW - dental biofilm

KW - in situ model

KW - pH ratiometry

KW - vat photopolymerization

KW - EXTRACELLULAR PH

KW - SCANNING MICROSCOPY

KW - PLAQUE

KW - FLUORESCENCE

KW - SEQUENCES

KW - BACTERIA

KW - VITALITY

KW - IMAGE

KW - VIVO

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177088173&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1089/3dp.2022.0009

DO - 10.1089/3dp.2022.0009

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37886402

SN - 2329-7662

VL - 10

SP - 1036

EP - 1045

JO - 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

JF - 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

IS - 5

ER -