Dental
Dental additive manufacturing became the first segment to achieve the production of certain end-use parts, effectively fueling growth for all main traditional polymer additive manufacturing hardware and material stakeholders. Photopolymerization (and material jetting, which is a type of photopolymerization) companies like Stratasys, 3D Systems, EnvisionTEC, DWS and Prodways – embraced the dental AM segment first.
They were then followed by the leading metal laser PBF hardware providers EOS, 3D Systems, SLM Solutions, Sisma and Renishaw above all. More recently all the leading ceramic AM firms, such as Lithoz, 3D Ceram and XJet are getting involved more directly and seeing significant opportunities.
More recently the next generation of polymer AM companies also entered the arena targeting true digital mass production. Boston-based Formlabs entered the segment providing an accessible and low-cost solution, while SIlicon Valley-based Carbon also entered the market with new materials and the ability to provide very high productivity rates. Both solutions have dramatically increased AM penetration within the entire dental industry at all levels, including the dentist’s office. However, HP was the first company to achieve a million-part application in dentistry by using its technology indirectly, to produce millions of mass customized tools for dental aligners manufactured by Smile Direct. In fact, dental aligners – including those manufactured by market leader Invisalign – are now one of the hottest applications in this segment.
In general, polymer 3D printers and materials are used in dentistry on several levels: to directly produce models from intraoral scans, CT scans and MRI’s; to produce patterns and molds for end-use materials; to produce visual models, surgical guides and even temporaries – with some now envisioning the direct production of permanent prostheses using polymer-nanoceramic composite materials. Metal and ceramic 3D printers and materials are used as real alternatives to subtractive production methods, reducing material waste.
Historically, dental additive manufacturing technologies have been applied in dental laboratories for over two decades, and more recently they have begun to be adopted by dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons. The use of 3D printing in the laboratory and the dentist’s office has been steadily growing for the past several years. Now the dental opportunity has emerged as one of the most relevant for the AM industry as a whole, with literally hundreds of thousands of potential adopters all over the world.
The apparent paradox is that – as dental technologies become more and more established within the dental industry – AM’s visibility within the dental segment has been progressively decreasing, as adopters now increasingly see it as standard practice. In this month’s AM focus we are going to highlight the latest opportunities for AM in dentistry.
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Candid and Carbon partner to produce clear aligners for orthodontics
3D-printed orthodontics have come a long way in the past three years, and Carbon and Candid’s new partnership to produce models for clear aligners that straighten teeth is grist for this mill. Carbon’s L1 printers and DLS process allow Candid to introduce Candid Pro, its “orthodontics-as-a-service” doctor-driven clear aligner therapy.…
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ZARE acquires majority stake in medical and dental AM devices firm Proxera
After joining the BEAMIT Group, ZARE has now acquired a majority stake in the additive manufacturing (AM) medical company Proxera. As a result of this acquisition, one of the leading metal AM service providers in Europe will now also enter the high-growth market for 3D printed metal implants. The Proxera…
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Nexa3D and Keystone partner to deliver AM to the dental industry
Nexa3D‘s NXE 400 3D printers will be able to use all Keystone KeyPrint 3D printing resins for the global dental industry. This includes Keystone’s FDA-cleared night guard resin, KeySplint Soft and KeyModel Ultra. All Keystone precision dental resins are manufactured in the USA, and available through Nexa3D’s expanding global channels. The…
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Orthodent Laboratory to automate resin removal and surface finishing DLS orthodontic solutions
Orthodent Laboratory (ODL), a company active in the digitalization of orthodontic solutions is working with PostProcess Technologies to develop orthodontic-specific finishing solutions to use with Carbon DLS technology. As innovators in the orthodontic lab space, ODL developed a proprietary system that streamlines the orthodontic appliance fitting method. ODL implements Carbon’s…
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Materialise Obtains CE Marking Certification for Multiple Personalized Medical Devices
Materialise NV, a leading company in 3D technology solutions in the industrial and medical markets, announces it obtained the CE Marking Certification for most of its personalized orthopaedic and cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) solutions. This includes 3D-printed anatomical models and patient-matched surgical guides and implants. Materialise is a pioneer and world leader…
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Prodways sells two ProMaker LD 20 printers to Polish manufacturer of orthodontic aligners Brightalign
Recent innovations have consolidated the strong position of Prodways‘ MOVINGLight technology in the dental market and more specifically in the fast-growing segment of orthodontic aligners. Initially launched in the United States, this market is also developing in Europe. Thus, the Polish company Brightalign, specialized in the manufacture of these orthodontic…
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Structo appoints Desmond Lim as Chief Executive Officer
Structo, the Singapore-based provider of 3D printing solutions focusing on high-speed and dental applications, has appointed Desmond Lim as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Desmond brings over 30 years of experience in executive and board leadership roles across various disciplines, ranging from multinationals to private/venture equity portfolio companies. Following…
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Dental AM Focus 2020 eBook
There is a lot to smile about when talking about 3D printing and the dental industry. The dental market was the first to truly utilize additive manufacturing for the production of end-use parts and today it is one of the segments which has most broadly adopted the technology. Read Now…
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3D Predict launches AI-driven teeth aligners in U.S.
3D Predict, an international software developer and manufacturer of dental aligners based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, is launching in the U.S. with a new headquarters in New York. The medical technology company has gained global recognition for its one-of-a-kind AI software, that produces highly precise 3D models of the…
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Prodways Technologies to hold webinar for dental additive manufacturing chain
Prodways Technologies will be holding a free webinar on 25 September 2020 titled 6 Things to Consider When Investing in a Dental Additive Manufacturing Production Chain. This webinar will reveal information about the most important criteria to consider when investing in an additive manufacturing solution, from the costs of materials…
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