Effect of fabrication techniques on accuracy of maxillary denture bases in anatomically challenging scenarios: An experimental in vitro study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the accuracy of denture bases fabricated with different methods in ovoid/shallow (OS) and tapered/deep (TD) palates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty denture bases were assigned to eight groups, with 40 corresponding to OS palates and 40 to TD palates. Each anatomical group included four fabrication methods: compression molding (CM), injection molding (IM), three-dimensional printing (3DP), and milling (Mill). The bases were digitized and superimposed onto a master reference model using Geomagic Control software to determine trueness and precision via root mean square values in each area of interest: (1) total intaglio surface, (2) postdam, (3) raphe, (4) anterior ridge (AR), (5) tuberosity, (6) palatal vault, and (7) posterior ridge (PR); Dunn's pairwise comparison was conducted to identify specific group differences. RESULTS: In the OS group, the CM method had the highest accuracy in the AR (p = 0.0001), whereas the Mill method had the highest accuracy in the tuberosity region (p = 0.0003). In the TD group, the 3DP method yielded significantly different measurements in total area (p = 0.0001), the postdam area (p = 0.0002), and the AR (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Personalizing denture base fabrication to palatal anatomy may improve prosthesis adaptation. The 3DP group demonstrated the highest trueness in anatomically complex cases, particularly in TD palates, suggesting that additive manufacturing could provide clinical benefits in such cases.