Dimensional accuracy of a binder jet model produced from computerized tomography data for dental implants

A full-scale model produced by multislice helical computerized tomography (CT) was made by using the binder jet method and applied for presurgical diagnosis, surgical simulation, and the production of surgical templates for dental implant treatment. In this study, accuracy of the full-scale model with plaster powder was assessed by shifting the binary threshold values. A step phantom was made from bone-equivalent material. When it was placed in water, the CT imaging was performed with a multislice helical CT unit. Three-dimensional (3-D) images were reconstructed by 3-D visualization software. Using 4 different threshold values, full-scale models were produced by a binder jet method with plaster powder. All sides of the full-scale models were directly measured, and their values were compared with that of the step phantom. The mean difference was approximately 0.1 mm in the axial plane when the setting was 0.75 for the threshold. In total, the mean difference was approximately 0.2 mm when the setting was 0.50 for the threshold. It is suggested this full-scale model could be applied for presurgical diagnosis, surgical simulation, and the production of surgical templates in dental implant treatment.