At this stage, 3D printers are accepted by more research scholars and physicians in the medical profession. 3D printers can not only be used to create practical models such as tools, prostheses, dental implants, etc., it can even be used to 3D bioprint the internal biological tissues of the human body such as cells and bones. In this article, we will focus on the application and development of 3D printers in the dental field.

Now, dental professionals can plan their own oral scans and CAD 3D models. Then, they can use desktop-level 3D printers or 3D printing services to make 3D printed models. The development prospect of the dental industry is very broad. Some 3D printer manufacturers have even developed new equipment such as 3D printers and 3D scanners specially used for dental work. These 3D printing equipment are widely used with 3D printing dental molds, orthodontic appliances or 3D printing implants and crowns.

Dental 3D printers and 3D printing mass customization: a revolution in the dental profession

3D printing is the perfect solution for all professions to produce customized products. As far as the medical field is concerned, it can individually meet the needs of different patients, such as 3D printed prostheses and teeth. Generally, the prosthesis or implant must exactly match the shape of the patient. This is especially true for dental professions, because everyone has their own unique tooth shape. With the 3D printer, medical staff can accurately obtain the 3D printed model of the patient's gum and provide customized solutions for it.

Dental 3D printing is the key to the innovation of modern dental plastic surgery technology, because it is very helpful for dental innovation experiments. Due to various reasons, the application of digital dentistry in this profession has been developed very quickly. It is a cost-saving and time-saving method. For example, if your 3D printed teeth are not suitable, you only need to modify the 3D modeling planning drawings.

How can 3D printing skills assist dental professionals?

There are many advantages to using 3D printers. This method can assist any medical professional to produce a suitable medical model.

3D printed calibrator made by students

The aligner is a kind of aligner used to align the teeth. Amos Dudley, a college student at Jersey Institute of Technology, used a 3D printer to create his own orthodontic appliance. The reason is that he can't afford the cost of traditional braces, so he made his own customized version with a 3D printer, but this student made a DIY version.

Amos Dudley's orthodontic appliances cost only $60, which is an important advantage, as traditional dental equipment is usually very expensive. He used his own tooth model and a 3D printer to build a set of brackets himself.

3D printed dental implants

3D printers also play an important role in dental implant surgery. It is actually possible to create 3D printed models to replace missing teeth. Compared with traditional methods, 3D printing promises to obtain replacement teeth faster and more accurately. It is also a simpler and more economical method. 3D printing and dental restoration will have a bright future together.

In China, Dr. Zhao Yimin handles an autonomous 3D dental implant interventional treatment. This dental rehabilitation professional has created a robotic dentist who can independently lead implant surgery. This impressive operation took an hour and finally succeeded.

3D printed dentures

Dentures manufactured by 3D printing, whether they are complete dentures, gums and teeth, must be printed with biocompatible materials. Even the denture base is 3D printable and can adapt to the patient’s mouth. Currently, 3D printed dentures are only used for clinical testing, but we think it will soon become a common 3D printed product.

3D printed crown

The 3D printer promises to produce crowns very quickly, because the process can be completed by the dentist himself. It is one of the most common applications of 3D printing in dentistry. By scanning the patient's teeth, 3D printing modeling is performed and the crown is printed directly. This process is very time-saving. If something goes wrong, professionals can correct the model file and print a new crown from scratch.

Which 3D printing skills should you use?

It depends on the nature of the dental item's intention and the model objects generated by your plan. General digital dentistry requires special 3D printing materials. For dental products, you must use biocompatibility data, and the biocompatible resin that needs to be supplied. Regarding medical tools, other medical equipment or prototypes, you can choose various types of 3D printing materials.