Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Document Type
Thesis - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Dentistry
Copyright Statement
All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.
Department
College of Dental Medicine
First Advisor
Nurit Bittner
Date of original Performance / Presentation
January 2026
Publication Date / Copyright Date
1-1-2026
NSUWorks Citation
Alessandra Forlano. 2026. Intaglio Surface Optimization of 3D-Printed Removable Complete Denture Prostheses Aiming to Minimize Candida albicans Adhesion. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Dental Medicine. (164)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_cdm_stuetd/164.
Abstract
Abstract Objective: Assess the topography of 3D-printed denture intaglio surfaces. Evaluate the fit accuracy of 3D-printed dentures after intaglio surface modifications. Quantify the amount of Candida albicans adhesion on modified and unmodified 3D-printed denture intaglio surfaces. Methods: Three surface treatment groups were evaluated: air-abrasion polishing and glycerin bath as the test groups, and a control group where no additional treatment was performed to the intaglio surface of the prosthesis. Evaluation was completed in three separate analyses: 1) surface topography characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and profilometry, 2) quantification of Candida albicans adhesion using a CCK-8 metabolic activity assay, and 3) evaluation of prosthesis fit accuracy before and after surface modifications using Geomagic Control X root mean square (RMS) deviation analysis. All specimens were fabricated using Lucitone Digital Print™ denture base resin and printed with a Carbon M2 printer following standardized protocols. Results: SEM analysis demonstrated smoother and more homogeneous surface morphologies in both the air-abrasion and glycerin bath groups compared with the untreated control group. Profilometric analysis demonstrated a trend toward lower surface roughness values in the modified groups; however, no statistically significant differences were identified for the evaluated global roughness parameters. The air-abrasion polishing group demonstrated significantly lower Candida albicans adhesion compared with the control group. The glycerin bath group did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in fungal adhesion when compared with the control. RMS deviation analysis revealed that the glycerin bath group demonstrated significantly greater dimensional alterations when compared with both the control and air-abrasion groups, while the air-abrasion polishing group did not demonstrate statistically significant dimensional differences when compared with the untreated control group. Conclusions: Intaglio surface modification methods influenced the surface characteristics, dimensional stability, and Candida albicans adhesion of additively manufactured dentures differently. Air-abrasion polishing demonstrated the most favorable overall performance by reducing fungal adhesion while maintaining dimensional stability comparable to the untreated control group. Although glycerin bath polymerization produced smoother surface characteristics, it demonstrated greater dimensional deviations that may affect prosthesis fit. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, air-abrasion polishing may represent a promising approach for reducing microbial colonization on 3D-printed denture intaglio surfaces without compromising prosthesis adaptation.
Disciplines
Dentistry
Keywords
3d printing; cad/cam; candida albicans; fungal adhesion
Files
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