AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025470484
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Antibacterial photocurable resin loaded with Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) for Vat-photopolymerization 3D printing in dental applications

Tomoe Nishikawa1,2 Yuki Nagamatsu1 Yusaku Nishizawa1,2 Yasuhiko Akama1,2 Jun J J Miyamoto2 Kaori Gunjigake-Kometani2 Tatsuo Kawamoto2 Hiroshi Ikeda1*
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1 Division of Biomaterials, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, 803-8580, Japan
2 Division of Orofacial Functions and Orthodontics, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, 803-8580, Japan
Received: 20 November 2025 | Accepted: 7 January 2026 | Published online: 13 January 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s).. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

This study aimed to develop a novel antibacterial photocurable resin for vat-photopolymerization (VPP) 3D printing by incorporating cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and to comprehensively evaluate its printability, mechanical properties, antibacterial activities, and CPC-release behavior for potential use in dental prostheses and orthodontic devices. Photocurable resins containing 0–3 wt% CPC were formulated from methacrylate and acrylate monomers. Printability of the photocurable resins was assessed by measuring viscosity, cure depth, over-curing, and degree of conversion. The photocurable resins were printed using a VPP 3D printer, and the resulting printed specimens were evaluated for mechanical properties using three-point bending and Vickers hardness tests. Antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans was examined by bacterial viability and plaque-formation assays. CPC-release behavior was analyzed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. CPC incorporation up to 3% slightly increased resin viscosity, cure depth, and over-curing while maintaining adequate printability. The degree of conversion was not significantly affected by CPC content. The 1% CPC-loaded printed resin exhibited mechanical properties comparable to the CPC-free control, whereas 3% CPC markedly reduced them. The 1% CPC-loaded printed resin showed strong antibacterial activity, achieving an antibacterial activity value (R) of 5.6 (>99.99% bacterial reduction), and demonstrated sustained plaque inhibition. Continuous CPC release from the printed resins was confirmed throughout the 14-day evaluation period. These results demonstrate that 1% CPC-loading provides an optimal balance among printability, mechanical properties, and antibacterial performance. The developed material shows potential for application in 3D-printed dental polymer-based prostheses and orthodontic devices.

Keywords
Additive manufacturing
3D printing
Dental resin
Dental materials
Antibacterial
Cetylpyridinium chloride
Biomaterial
Funding
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant number 25K20440).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing