Accuracy of Clasps Fabricated with Three Different CAD/CAM Technologies: Casting, Milling, and Selective Laser Sintering

Purpose: To compare the fabrication accuracy of clasps made using different CAD/CAM technologies. Materials and Methods: Five clasps were created using three CAD/CAM technologies: casting from a resin pattern using additive manufacturing; computer numerical controlled milling; and selective laser sintering (SLS). Differences between the scan data of the clasps and the CAD data were statistically analyzed. Results: There were significant differences in all parts of the clasps. The difference values were small overall for the SLS clasp. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that SLS for clasp fabrication is outstanding in terms of fabrication accuracy and reproducibility.