Do implant angulation and print orientation compromise masked stereolithography apparatus printer model accuracy? an in-vitro study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of implant angle and print orientation on the accuracy of printed implant models fabricated with a masked stereolithography (mSLA) printer. Materials and methods Three digital reference models were designed in a design software (Meshmixer) with implants positioned at 0°, 10°, and 20°. Each reference design was printed at three different orientations (0°, 45°, and 90°; n = 10) using an mSLA printer (Anycubic Photon M3 Max). Printed models were scanned using a desktop scanner (E4, 3Shape) and analyzed for linear and angular accuracy using Geomagic Control X. Statistical evaluation was performed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD or Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn–Bonferroni correction ( p < 0.05). Results Implant angulation and print orientation had a significant effect on linear and angular trueness of implant models ( p < 0.05). The smallest linear deviations were obtained at 0° implant angulation and 90° print orientation. The lowest angular deviations were found at 0° print orientation. Two-way interaction was significant for linear trueness ( p < 0.001) but not for angular trueness ( p = 0.063). The print orientation affected both linear and angular precision. The lowest precision values were observed at 90° compared with 0° and 45° print orientations ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The findings suggest that both implant angulation and print orientation affect the accuracy of mSLA-printed implant models. Short-span models with minimal implant angulation can be printed at 90° print orientation.