The advancement of 3D printing technology has had a significant impact on the medical industry, and particularly on dentistry. Everyone’s mouth is unique, so with additive manufacturing, dentists and technologists can make devices and guides that are specifically suited to each patient’s tooth alignment and structure. This printing is often done on dental-specific printers, which are now inexpensive enough to be purchased by dental practices. Many practices also use on-demand manufacturing services like Xometry, which offers instant quotes on CAD files and 3D printed dental parts delivered in as fast as one day.
Dental applications require high levels of precision, so the technologies most often used are Stereolithography (SLA),Digital Light Synthesis (DLS),Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). These additive technologies offer high levels of geometric complexity without sacrificing durability. Formlabs, Carbon, and other 3D printer manufacturers often have dental-specific resins.
Additive manufacturing is used to create dental surgical devices, model patients’ teeth, fix broken teeth, and make flossing easier. Dental tool guides, which accurately mirror a patient’s unique teeth, can be quickly made with 3D printing to improve surgical outcomes. Common applications include:
Additive manufacturing will continue to have a major impact on dentistry and orthodontics. Xometry has worked with dozens of dental practices and companies on the applications listed above. To get an instant quote, head over to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine℠ - you could have customized models to your practice within days.