Table 2.

Summary of the benefits and drawbacks of numerous printing techniques.

Technique	Materials	Application	Benefits	Drawbacks
Fused deposition modeling (FDM)	Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Polyethylene oxide (PEO), etc.	Customized implants, surgical guides, prosthetics, etc.	Low-cost, versatile, and easy to use	Limited strength and stiffness, poor resolution, and surface finish
Stereolithography (SLA)	Photopolymerizable resins, such as acrylates, epoxies, and polyurethanes	Dental models, prosthetics, surgical guides, etc.	High resolution, smooth surface finish, and accuracy	Expensive, limited material selection, and potentially toxic photoinitiators
Selective laser sintering (SLS)	Polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), polyetherimide (PEI), etc.	Customized implants, surgical tools, prosthetics, etc.	High strength, durability, and complex geometries	Expensive, limited resolution, and surface finish
Inkjet printing (IJP)	Hydrogels, synthetic polymers, bioinks, etc.	Tissue engineering, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine	High flexibility, scalability, and control over composition	Limited mechanical properties, resolution, and stability
Electrospinning (ESP)	Polycaprolactone (PCL), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), collagen, etc.	Tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery	High porosity, biocompatibility, and fiber diameter control	Limited mechanical strength and complex 3D structures
Digital light processing (DLP)	Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), methacrylated gelatin (GelMA), polyurethane (PU), etc.	Tissue engineering, drug delivery, and surgical planning	High resolution, accuracy, and speed	Limited material selection, biocompatibility concerns, and light scattering in thick structures