Evolution of 3D Printers in Dentistry

The growing era of digitization in the dental world is opening up new markets as well as new opportunities for other already existing technologies present earlier used in other industries.

Since we take digital impressions through Intraoral Scanners all the data is saved in digital format no hard copy is available to either the dentist or the lab technician for checking the fit of the prosthesis fabricated using CAD-CAM system or doing layering on a metal crown.

So, the Dental CAD-CAM opened up a new arena of 3D printing for its various applications. It has also made digital dentistry cost-effective. Today a lot of 3D printers are available in the market for producing medical prints, for industrial products like spare parts of aircraft, etc. 3d printers that are specifically designed for dental purposes are recommended for dentistry. Industrial-based printers do not give accurate results as they are not designed to print the natural parts.

We use different technologies of 3D Printing in Dentistry like FDM ( Fused Deposition Mechanism), STL ( Stereolithography) DLP (Digital Light Processing ) SLS ( Selective Laser Sintering ) DMLS ( Digital Metal Laser Sintering ) out of which most commonly used in dentistry is DLP technology and SLA technology. SLA technology is more precise than DLP still DLP technology is more widely used in dentistry as it gives the optimum level of accuracy.

It is highly recommended to use 3D printer Nextdent 5100 which is made by USA based company i.e. 3D system as they have their own range of Resins most of them are FDA approved and are biocompatible which has an accuracy of 0.65 microns whereas in dentistry it is advised that any printer which has the accuracy of more than 0.75 can be used while NextDent 5100 offer par above accuracy. This 3d printer comes with an inbuilt oxygen membrane in it, which is permeable and makes air molecules pass through it readily but do not allow the resin to pass through it which makes the printing fastest in it as compared to other 3d Printers, as a result, it can print a single model set in just 17 minutes. This printer also comes with a feature of stacking i.e printing one model below the other as a result it can serve the purpose of being used in industrial level commercial printing

3D Printers can be used for various applications like printing temporary crowns & bridges for immediate temporization, castable partial denture, castable coping to produce digital PFM, digital denture, digital 3d model for aligner production and for the digital impression made, the gingival mask for implant cases, indirect bonding trays for transfer of orthodontic brackets with digital accuracy in the patient’s mouth, Splint studio or Night Guards produced digitally, customized impression trays specific for patients.

Many dentists have shared their experience that by using IOS of Trios with CAD software of 3shape and output with NextDent 5100 3D Printer is commendable.