During the last few years, the curriculum of many dentistry schools in Germany has been reorganised. Two key aspects of the applied changes are the integration of up-to-date teaching methods and the promotion of interdisciplinarity. To support these efforts, an approach to fabricating individualised simulation models for hands-on courses employing 3D printing is presented. The models are based on real patients, thus providing students a more realistic preparation for real clinical situations. As a wide variety of dental procedures can be implemented, the simulation models can also contribute to a more interdisciplinary dental education. The data used for the construction of the models were acquired by 3D surface scanning. The data were further processed with 3D modelling software. Afterwards, the models were fabricated by 3D printing with the PolyJet technique. Three models serve as examples: a prosthodontic model for training veneer preparation, a conservative model for practicing dental bonding and an interdisciplinary model featuring carious teeth and an insufficient crown. The third model was evaluated in a hands-on course with 22 fourth-year dental students. The students answered a questionnaire and gave their personal opinion. Whilst the concept of the model received very positive feedback, some aspects of the implementation were criticised. We discuss these observations and suggest ways for further improvement.

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Background: Most simulation models used at university dental clinics are typodonts. Usually, models show idealized eugnathic situations, which are rarely encountered in everyday practice. The aim of this study was to use 3D printing technology to manufacture individualized surgical training models for root tip resection (apicoectomy) on the basis of real patient data and to compare their suitability for dental education against a commercial typodont model. Methods: The training model was designed using CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) technology. The printer used to manufacture the models employed the PolyJet technique. Dental students, about one year before their final examinations, acted as test persons and evaluated the simulation models on a visual analogue scale (VAS) with four questions (Q1–Q4). Results: A training model for root tip resection was constructed and printed employing two different materials (hard and soft) to differentiate anatomical structures within the model. The exercise was rated by 35 participants for the typodont model and 33 students for the 3D-printed model. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were carried out to identify differences in the assessments of the two model types. The alternative hypothesis for each test was: “The rating for the typodont model is higher than that for the 3D-printed model”. As the p-values reveal, the alternative hypothesis has to be rejected in all cases. For both models, the gingiva mask was criticized. Conclusions: Individual 3D-printed surgical training models based on real patient data offer a realistic alternative to industrially manufactured typodont models. However, there is still room for improvement with respect to the gingiva mask for learning surgical incision and flap formation.

Improvements in bone tissue engineering require an understanding of cellular and tissue level behavior of osteoblast-like cells. Experiments indicate that in the absence of an anchoring material, intercellular adhesion may be based on signals that promote cell activity resulting in the formation of a spheroid cell-matrix. The aim of the present study is to investigate the formation of scaffold-free three-dimensional micro-mass cell spheroids in vitro, and to characterize quantitatively the cell movement. A new correlation based automated tracking method is evaluated in order to optimize the processing parameters and to identify statistical parameters that characterize the cell behavior. Results suggest that the temporal development of the mean distance of the cells to the center of gravity may be described by an exponential function, thus providing a characteristic time constant as a quantitative measure of cell dynamics. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).

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