In general, medical technology is one of the areas in which the use of 3D printing technologies has recorded the greatest additional rates. This applies in particular to dentistry. In this area, some experts even assume that additive manufacturing techniques will revolutionize conventional methods. We would therefore like to take a closer look at the possibilities of 3D printing in dentistry with you.
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Boom since 2014 at the latest
As early as March 2014, 3D printing specialist Hans Langer stated: “In the dental environment, additive manufacturing has already become a real series application. The dentures manufactured with our technology have almost completely replaced the previous investment casting in some countries. Currently,” Langer said at the time, “about 6.8 million units are manufactured using this process every year, and the trend is rising.”
Nothing has changed in this trend in 2022 either. Rather the opposite is the case.
Personalized creations
Last but not least, one of the most important advantages of additive technologies in dentistry is the fact that there is probably no other way to implement the personalized production required in this area at a comparable cost.
Wide range of applications
At the same time, 3D printing in dentistry offers a wide range of possible applications, from toothbrushes to braces and dentures to whole teeth from the 3D printer.
Teeth are already being made from synthetic resin and other polymers on a 3D printer. Titanium, on the other hand, has proven to be the material of choice for the production of crowns and fillings, both in terms of its biocompatibility and the required long-term stability.
The next generation of braces would also be braces that not only correct misaligned teeth, but also prevent tooth decay.
CAD/CAM technology as the next step
CAD/CAM technology is probably considered to be a key technology in the context of dental medicine. This was already developed in 1985-87, as one of the first additive technologies at the time, by a team from the University of Zurich led by Professor Werner Mörmann. From the beginning, the focus was on dentistry.
In this procedure, a camera (or nowadays usually a small-sized scanner) takes pictures of the patient’s diseased tooth. The digital images obtained in this way are then converted into a 3D model.
Find out more about the latest developments in medical 3D printing on our 3D Activation blog.
