Additive Technology in Dentistry:
Current Trends for 3D Printed Dentures
Jamie Stover, CDT, Senior Manager of Dental Lab Applications, Carbon
T
he pace at which technology is evolving has never been faster in the history of the world, and it will never again be slower than it is currently is an observation that has been noted in recent years. Evidence of this can be seen in our daily lives as technology helps us stay in touch more easily, order goods and services with a mouse click, and work remotely in ways we didn’t imagine even only a couple of years ago. In the dental industry, rapidly evolving technology is streamlining the workflow between lab and clinic, and solving daunting workforce challenges, while elevating the level of patient care. In this article, the author will discuss 3D printed denture workflow and its benefits for technicians, labs, and patients. It is hard to believe that for over a decade, analog fixed restorations such as porcelain fused to metal crowns, multi-unit PFM bridges, and full gold crowns have been widely replaced by digitally produced restorations such as milled zirconia crowns, milled lithium disilicate, and other hybrid-ceramic materials. These digital processes and materials allow technicians and labs to utilize technology such as intra-oral scanners, CAD software, and mills to replace many of the labour-intensive, hands-on production steps required to fabricate restorations while lowering the cost of production, reducing the production time, and providing patients with stronger, more durable restorations. Removable restorations such as dentures, partials, and splints have taken longer to transition to digital fabrication, but that is changing rapidly with the evolution of 3D printer technology and associated materials.
American College of Prosthodontists denture information.
Combine a high volume of denture cases with recent demographic data from the dental lab industry in the US, which shows that 60% of dental lab technicians are over the age of 55 and that only 24% are listed as ‘most experienced’ removable technicians versus ‘least experienced.’2 The transition of denture production from hands-on, analog processes to a streamlined digital design and 3D printed production process will allow labs to fulfill the deluge of denture prescriptions while moving the remaining experienced analog removable
technicians to digital roles and pass their priceless knowledge on to the next generation of digital removable technicians.
Challenges with the Early Digital Denture Workflow
Removable restorations such as dentures and night guards began moving to milled digital production processes several years after the fixed restorations, but the adoption rate was not as rapid for multiple reasons. One early challenge for labs was the lack of comprehensive denture and splint design
Current Industry Trends
Recent demographic data shows us that in the United States, there are more than 36 million fully edentulous patients and 120 million people missing at least one tooth. The numbers are expected to increase in the next decade. Around 15% of the edentulous population has dentures made each year, for a total of about 5.4 million denture cases annually in the US.1
Valmont Research NADL Demographic Survey results.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
FALL 2022
19