Last week Dr. Kramer went to a dental convention and bought back a couple neat sources talking about how 3D printing is being utilized to make restorations. This is an extremely new field that does not have much research behind it. However, here is a little bit about how 3D printing is emerging in dentistry.
Ceramic 3D printing uses resin-based systems mainly for small, high quality elements. The printed material is a sinterable ceramic powder mixed with photo curable resin. Small portions of this technology, like the alumnia parts, helped make the parts on Mars rover Curiosity. Below is a picture of the kinds of restorations 3D printers can make.
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| Models of 3D printed restorations |
3D printing is in fact different than CAD/CAM technology that I have talked about before. In CAD/CAM technology you begin with making the lithium disilicate or zirconia into blocks, then the material is milled and crystallized. 3D printing begins with making the resin material, printing the restoration then crystallizing it.
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| 3D print (bottom) vs CAD/CAM (top) technology |
3D printed restorations will certainly grow and have more research conducted on their effectiveness in the field, especially as restorations move away from metal and into a ceramic dominated industry.
Hey Sydney! 3D printing in dentistry is really interesting! I was wondering, I know that research is still being done on how effective it is, but how accurate is it? You mentioned it is used mainly for small, high quality elements. Does that mean it is accurate enough to capture all of the details?
ReplyDeleteAbout as accurate as CAD/CAM. Due to the expensive and experimental technology, researchers are beginning with smaller, high quality restorations to see how they hold up to oral conditions before larger restorations are experimented with.
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