Erina Tsunoda

Patient-specific cutting guides are used for safe and accurate jaw resection during oral and maxillofacial surgery. This study investigated the effect of shavings from 3D-printed cutting guide materials during surgery on bone healing. The biocompatibility of commercially available biocompatible polymers including photopolymer resin (PP) and polyamide resin (PA) materials was assessed in the present study. The viability of mouse osteoblast-like MC3T3E-1 cells was evaluated upon coculture with the materials. Furthermore, the effects of PP and PA as additives on bone formation were investigated in a rat calvarial bone defect model. Both PP and PA were biocompatible and allowed cells to attach to them. However, both materials could be damaged when cutting devices were used, and their shavings impaired osteoblast proliferation and bone formation. Cutting guide materials are designed to be biocompatible when they are fabricated according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Nevertheless, the polymer shavings generated during jaw cutting might adversely affect bone healing.

Background: Surgical guides manufactured with computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology are effective tools for oral surgeries.Case presentation: A new type of surgical guide with mucoperiosteal flap elevation function was custom designed, printed, and applied for the safe and accurate removal of six impacted supernumerary teeth in a 12‐year‐old male patient. The surgical guides were designed with access holes corresponding to the positions of the impacted teeth and the elevation structures of the mucoperiosteal flap.Conclusion: The novel custom‐made surgical guide system introduced in the present report was successfully utilized for minimally invasive teeth removal procedures.