Novel Arch Bar Fabricated With a Computer-Aided Design and Three-Dimensional Printing: A Feasibility Study

PurposeThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of the design and fabrication of a novel arch bar using 3-dimensional printing. Furthermore, the study assessed its use in a preliminary clinical study of intermaxillary fixation.Patients and MethodsSeven patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the present study. Plaster dental casts were created of each patient and scanned using cone-beam computed tomography to obtain digital casts. Computer-aided design software was then used to complete the virtual building of the arch bars, which were manufactured using 3-dimensional printing and a cobalt-chrome alloy. The clinical results were observed after the arch bars were fixed to the dentition with steel wires.ResultsThe arch bar contacted the dentition with a “surface-to-surface” pattern. The utility of these novel arch bars was verified by successfully fitting them to the dental arches of the patients. All the patients achieved their desired occlusion.ConclusionThe results of the present study have illustrated that this digital method is feasible for constructing a novel arch bar, showing promise for clinical use.

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