A Guide To 3D Printed Dentures- Process, Cost, Workflow

Digital dentures are a great way to reduce the cost and time of denture delivery. FDA-compliant 3d printed dentures, including biocompatible monolithic trial-in dentures, are available. These dentures can also be characterized for short-term use. Separate denture bases can be printed with biocompatible material. This material has a significantly lower shrinkage factor than conventional PMMA-milled materials. For a final hybrid denture, bond to the printed or milled teeth.

What Are Digital Dentures?

Computer-aided design and manufacturing technology are used to make digital dentures. This is done using scanned impressions and bite registers. The denture laboratory receives the captured impressions and creates full-mouth restorations. Digital denture technology can be used to make dentures by either subtractive 3D printing or additive 3D milling. Digital dentures, regardless of the manufacturing process, are much less labor-intensive and less invasive than traditional dentures. They also require fewer visits to complete the procedure.

Digital Dentures vs Traditional Dentures

Digital dentures can be created using CAD/CAM technology. This allows them to be designed and manufactured to exact specifications using 3D printing equipment. Digital dentures have many advantages over traditional dentures. They are faster and can be made without the need for manual impressions or manual processing.

How Do Digital Dentures Work?

Once the dentist has taken records of the patient’s mouth the technician can use sophisticated software to design and personalize dentures. These images can be printed or milled using 3D printing.

How Do 3D Printers Make Dentures?

3D printing allows you to add material to a stationary plate by using computer software. This allows you to create the object that you desire. To form thin layers of solid material, liquid resin is exposed to light. To create the final three-dimensional object, these layers are stacked on top of each other. In this instance, the denture baseplate or denture tooth is created.

3d Printed Dentures Price

The cost of acquiring the training, hardware, software, and supplies necessary to print dentures is a significant investment for a dental lab. The cost of digital dentures is actually lower once the investment has been recouped. Dentists can expect to see denture prices remain stable because of the lower labor costs associated with automation. This is compared to traditional dentures.

3D Printed Dentures Material

Light-cured methacrylate resin is the best material for printed dentures. The baseplates of dentures are made from gum-colored resin. A similar tooth-shaded methacrylate resin is used to make denture teeth that match their respective baseplates.

What Is A Typical Workflow For Digital Dentures?

The dental office is where the digital denture workflow begins. The dentist creates a patient’s bite record and then uses a chairside scanner for intraoral anatomy. These scans are digitalized and saved in files that can be electronically submitted to denture laboratories.

Digital Denture Technology

The denture technician creates 3D computerized mockups of dentures based on captured records. The denture technician applies manufacturing parameters to the design in order to ensure uniform thickness and minimize physical handling. The lab typically uses digital denture technology to create a physical mockup the dentist can place in the patient’s mouth. The dentist can modify the try-in at the chairside to achieve the desired result. After the try-in has been returned to the lab the manufacturing parameters have been adjusted and denture baseplates printed. For a perfect fit, denture teeth are printed separately.

Digital Denture Tools

The denture components are cleaned and trimmed of any manufacturing supports after printing. The technician joins the denture teeth printed with their baseplates manually. The workflow is completed with final curing and polishing.

What Is The Cost Of Digital Dentures?

Asking “How much are digital dentures?” you should consider that both the denture wearer and the dentist get a better overall value. Digital dentures can be quickly recreated at a fraction of the cost of traditional dentures. The impressions and intermediate appointments are completely eliminated. Digital dentures are more durable, can be made with less waste, and have more errors than traditional dentures.