Oxygen-mediated projection microstereolithography for sub–100-μm zirconia dental veneers

High-resolution vat photopolymerization of ceramics is constrained by light scattering, which broadens cured features, and by shallow penetration, which limits interlayer bonding. This trade-off is particularly damaging for microscale structures such as no-preparation dental veneers. We introduce an oxygen-mediated projection microstereolithography strategy in which an oxygen-permeable release film creates an interfacial inhibition field in high-solid–loading zirconia slurry. Rather than uniformly reducing curing, oxygen preferentially filters low-dose scattered light at pattern edges while preserving curing in the projected core. This anisotropic inhibition reshapes the accuracy-depth trade-off, enabling optimized multilayer printing of thin-wall zirconia. The process enabled reproducible fabrication of ∼80-micrometer zirconia veneers with high trueness, improved marginal adaptation, and handling-related strength comparable to substantially thicker milled veneers. The approach provides the potential for minimally invasive dental restoration and a general strategy for high-resolution additive manufacturing of strongly scattering ceramic suspensions.