SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Dent. Med.
Sec. Dental Materials
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdmed.2025.1638794
CAD-CAM vs. Conventional Denture Bases: A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analysis of In Vitro Studies Comparing Strength, Hardness, Toughness, and Elastic Properties.
Provisionally accepted
Rohit Kunnath Menon1*
Hui Xin Yew2Benjamin Chen Tze Wei2Farah Mohammed Ramadan1Afraa Ibrahim Soliman1Sajesh Veettil2- 1Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- 2IMU University, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Background: Scientific evidence from in vitro studies comparing the mechanical properties of dentures fabricated with computer-aided design-computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and conventional techniques is inconclusive. This systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the current evidence comparing the mechanical properties of conventional and digitally fabricated denture bases from in vitro studies.: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Medline for in vitro studies from inception until 16 January 2025. The review had been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO: CRD42024531425). A network meta-analysis compared conventional and digitally fabricated denture bases' flexural strength, hardness, flexural modulus, elastic modulus, impact strength, fracture toughness, yield point, and toughness. Risk of bias was assessed by using RoBDEMAT (RoB 2.0).Results: 4,994 articles were identified, 966 duplicates were removed, 3,971 were excluded by title and abstract screening, 57 were assessed by full-text reading, and 42 were included in the quantitative synthesis. As per the sensitivity analysis performed after excluding low-quality studies, the network meta-analysis results indicate that milled digital denture bases exhibit higher flexural strength (SMD = 2.13 [95% CI: 0.21, 4.05]) compared to 3D-printed digitally fabricated denture bases. Bias incorporated from higher values from one study diminishes the quality of evidence for impact strength and flexural modulus.Conclusion: Milled digital denture bases exhibit superior flexural strength to 3D-printed and conventionally fabricated denture bases under laboratory conditions. High-quality in vitro studies are recommended to provide conclusive evidence for other mechanical properties.
Keywords: CAD-CAM, Digital dentures, Milled, 3D-printed, Denture, In-vitro
Received: 31 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kunnath Menon, Yew, Chen Tze Wei, Mohammed Ramadan, Ibrahim Soliman and Veettil. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rohit Kunnath Menon, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.