Laser Densification of Extruded Dental Porcelain Bodies in Multi-Material Laser Densification (MMLD) Process

In this study commercial dental porcelain powder was deposited via slurry extrusion and laser densified to fabricate dental restorations in a Multi-Material Laser Densification (MMLD) process. The processing conditions for laser densification of single lines and closed rings were investigated in order to avoid warping and cracking. Multi-layer rings were also investigated to study the dependence of bonding between layers on the laser densification conditions. The laser densified rings showed no warping, and good bonding between layers could be achieved when the laser densification condition was selected properly. The mechanism to achieve porcelain rings without warping and cracking is discussed. The understanding developed will pave the way for fabricating a physical dental restoration unit.