Optimising clinical outcomes of KATANA Zirconia restorations
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By Dr George Freedman, Canada
3D printing has arrived in dentistry. Like with the other great paradigm shifts of the past 50 years in the profession (cosmetic dentistry, implants and diagnostics), major advances are very apparent on the near horizon. The needs are many, the technologies numerous, the applications almost unlimited and the potential open-ended. Just like cosmetic materials and techniques brought aesthetic restorative dentistry into the hands of every practitioner, 3D printing promises to bring functional and artistic control of the restorative process into the chairside setting.
The digital transformation of dentistry, including CBCT, intra-oral and extra-oral scanning, milling of ceramic and composite materials, and robotic implant placement, is fi rmly established.
Stereolithography, first developed in the 1980s, was soon followed by additive manufacturing, the deposition of ma terial in increments. Dental applications are more recent. 3D printing has been utilised for rapid prototyping and modelling for more than a decade. The size and cost of the earlier printers meant that they were limited to larger lab oratories. The most recent desktop printers have a much smaller footprint, are easily affordable for the single prac titioner, communicate with existing software platforms and offer high levels of precision with a wide range of materials.
Current 3D printers are fully capable of managing the great demand for temporary, transitional, and perma nent restorations and appliances and of achieving the clinical excellence required by the dental profession. Consequently, there has been a growing acceptance of this transformative technology. Increasingly, 3D printing is viewed as an industry game-changer and a forecast of the future direction of the dental practice.
3D-printing techniques include stereolithography, fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering, powder binder printing, photopolymer jetting, electron beam melting and direct light processing.
The documented, wide-ranging 3D-printing applications can be grouped by treatment category:
3D-printing techniques and procedures are high-quality, high precision, accurate and signicantly lower in cost than conventional treatment options. Dentists save money: many desktop printers cost between US$3,000 and US$10,000, and dental 3D-printing materials cost pennies per tooth. Patients save money, by the elimina tion of intermediate procedures and transportation costs. Treatment is faster, typically same-day services.
Welcome to 3D printing ! Welcome to the future of dentistry!
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