Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of applications of medical rapid prototyping (MRP)-assisted customized surgical guides (CSGs) and shows the potential of this technology in complex surgeries. This review paper also reports two case studies from open literature where MRP-assisted CSGs have been successfully used in complex surgeries.
Design/methodology/approach
Key publications from the past two decades have been reviewed.
Findings
This study concludes that the use of MRP-assisted CSGs improves the accuracy of surgery. Additionally, MRP-assisted CSGs make the surgery much faster, accurate and cheaper than any other technique. The outcome based on literature review and two case studies strongly suggested that MRP-assisted CSGs might become part of a standard protocol in the medical sector to operate the various complex surgeries, in the near future.
Practical implications
Advanced technologies like radiology, image processing, virtual surgical planning (VSP), computer-aided design (CAD) and MRP made it possible to fabricate the CSGs. MRP-assisted CSGs can easily transfer the VSP into the actual surgery.
Originality/value
This paper is beneficial to study the development and applications of MRP-assisted CSGs in complex surgeries.
Dental material has emerged in the last few decades with enhanced biological properties. The prime characteristics required for dental materials are that they should be compatible with oral cavity fluids such as saliva and gingival crevicular fluids. Their functionality should be enhanced in the presence of such biological factors. Scientific advancements in exploring innovative materials have led to the possibility of achieving beneficial results by using materials that respond more dynamically to the environment in which they are placed. Currently available dental materials are improvised. Restorative materials such as smart composites, smart ceramics, compomers, resin-modified glass ionomer, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP)-releasing pit and fissure sealants, and other smart burs and orthodontic shape memory alloys have all benefited from the usage of smart materials in dentistry.
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