From 3D Printing to 3D Bioprinting: Principles and Applications in Dentistry

During the past two decades, the research and medical applications of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology have been extensively explored. Significant progress and notable breakthroughs have been documented in the literature. This review presents a comprehensive historical overview of biomaterials fabrication via 3D printing, with a focus on dental applications and also categorizes the bioinks and their corresponding technology in terms of 3D bioprinting. Simultaneously, the importance of sustainability in dental bioprinting is specifically highlighted. Finally, the application of 3D bioprinting in maxillofacial tissues and organ engineering is summarized. A brief discussion is presented on the current challenges and the vision for the development of dental bioprinting. We believe this review will broadly benefit scientists, engineers and clinical practitioners in the areas of fabrication of functional biomaterials for medical and, particularly, dental applications.