How 3D Printing Can be Applied to Dental Implants

3D printing has been a huge step in the right direction for dental technology, making processes more accurate and faster – two benefits that are revolutionising the experience for both dentists and patients.

Dental implants are nothing new, and are used to restore function and aesthetics to the mouths of patients missing their natural teeth. The process requires thorough examinations and imaging, to determine if there is enough bone in the mouth to insert the implants, as well as the location of vital anatomic structures and accurate dimensions of the implant.

Find out how 3D printing is making the process a little easier on everyone involved.

The dental implant process using 3D technology

3D printing is quickly taking the place of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to create dental implants, veneers, crowns and more. The concept of 3D printing works in a similar way to the old inkjet printers people used to have at home, but instead of using ink and paper, 3D printers use raw materials such as plastics and composites.

While inkjet printers would apply one layer of print to the paper, 3D printers apply multiple layers one-by-one, in a process known as “additive manufacturing”. Let’s take a quick look at how this process is applied to implants.

1. Scanning: The 3D printing process begins with an intraoral scanner, which examines the inside of a patient’s mouth. This stage can use either contact or non-contact scanning.
2. Digital display: The results of the scan are then digitally projected onto a screen. This uses specialised software to recreate an accurate 3D digital image of surfaces in the patient’s mouth. This “surgical guide” is an exact replication of the patient’s mouth, and can be placed over their jaw to give dentists an accurate guide to where they should place the implant. This digital imaging step is largely replacing CAD and CAM technology, as well as plaster impressions that many patients find uncomfortable.
3. Physical model creation:  Once the 3D image has been created, it can then be transformed into a physical model creation.