How do 3D-Printed hybrid resins match the colour of natural teeth?

The inconsistency between resin brands and the VITA shade guide prevents accurate shade matching in restorations, leading to esthetic failure. To evaluate the delta E of five groups of resins produced using the additive 3D printing technique with the VITA shade guide and the natural tooth. Two hundred hybrid resins samples were produced and divided into five groups of 40 according to the following brands: FREEPRINT® Crown, Saremco Print Crowntec, VarseoSmile TriniQ, VarseoSmile® Crown plus and V-print C&B Temp, using an 3D printer. All the samples were washed, light-cured, and polished. The samples were photographed, and the L*a*b values were recorded using the eLAB_prime software. After, the delta E value between the VITA shade guide samples and the natural tooth samples was calculated. The data was analysed using SPSS software and compared using parametric tests. There were significant differences between the VITA shade guide and natural tooth samples. For the VITA shade guide, the FREEPRINT® Crown resin had the lowest delta E, followed by Saremco® print CROWNTEC, VarseoSmile® TriniQ®, and finally VarseoSmile® Crown plus , which was similar to V-Print C&B Temp. For the natural tooth, VarseoSmile® TriniQ® had a lower delta E, followed by VarseoSmile® Crown plus , Saremco® print CROWNTEC, FREEPRINT® Crown, and V-Print C&B Temp. For the VITA shade guide, the FREEPRINT® Crown resin had the lowest delta E and for the natural tooth VarseoSmile® TriniQ® had a lower delta E, showing greater proximity to the tooth's natural colour. • The resins were compared with the colour of a natural central incisor. • FREEPRINT® Crown resin showed the lowest ΔE value in comparison with the VITA shade guide , indicating better shade compatibility. • VarseoSmile® TriniQ® resin exhibited the lowest ΔE value when compared to the natural tooth , suggesting superior aesthetic integration. • The findings support the need for improvement and standardization in resin formulations used for aesthetic dental restorations.