Night Guards and Aligners

3D printing is most commonly used in the production of transparent aligners and night guards. Aligners have become popular as an alternative to braces because they are virtually invisible once worn.
The workflow to produced them is simple. Firstly, the patient’s teeth will be scanned with an intraoral scanner. The data will then be imported into a specialized software that will generate an accurate 3D model of their teeth. From there, the model can then be manipulated into what the patient’s teeth should be.
To print the model, there are two methods. The first method is to print the model of the patient’s teeth without any manipulation. Vacuum forming technique will then be used to vacuform a negative of the teeth. It later becomes the aligner.
A more effective method is to model the aligner based on the data of the patient’s teeth. The aligner will then be printed on a high precision resin 3D printer with a special resin. A full batch of aligners and night guards can essentially be produced quickly in a matter of hours. The patient will end up with an end product that is highly accurate and fits perfectly. This is a workflow that has been widely adopted by dentists, labs, and corporations.

Crowns are used to replace a broken tooth. The traditional process of creating a crown is incredibly time consuming and expensive. 3D printing technology is able to speed up this process immensely while reducing costs and lead time. With 3D printing the doctor only need to scan the broken tooth, create the crown in 3D using software and then print it using a special resin. This all can be done in the comfort of their own office in less than an hour. In contrast, the traditional method takes weeks and is much more expensive. 

Surgical Guides

Surgery by its nature is a precise process and dental 3D printing can make precision easy for oral surgeries. It is now possible to print a surgical guide that fits a patient’s mouth perfectly. By scanning the patient’s teeth, a model is then designed that is similar to an aligner except it has openings for where the surgery is to be done. This will greatly reduced patient’s trauma and promotes faster healing. Surgical guides can be printed quickly with the same type of resin used for aligners and night guards.

Models and Impression

In the dental industry, an effective workflow is crucial and 3D printing technology is able to guarantee that. A model of a patient’s teeth will be printed and it can then be used as a base to make sure that the implant, crown, and aligner fits precisely.
The process is simple. A doctor only needs to scan the patient’s mouth, print it out, and work can start immediately. Normal resin can be used as these printed model will not be placed in the patient’s mouth

The Future of the dental industry with 3D Printing Technology
3D-printing is definitely the future of the dental industry. 3D-printing offers many opportunities and a lot of new exciting ways to make life easier for patients, dentists and dental technicians. with the technology development continues to move forward. New applications are constantly emerging, each hoping to fill a different niche of the industry.