Terri Capriolo explains the benefits of 3D printing for dental labs and how the necessary equipment can be accessed more easily.
If the answer to the continued evolution of dental technology lies with digital dentistry, then 3D printing is justifiably the enabler. Here, Terri Capriolo, Senior VP Oral Health at Carbon, shares her wisdom on exactly where and how this revolutionary technology is transforming processes, what we can expect of it in the next few years, and just why it makes sense for dental labs to embrace it.
What are the principal advantages provided by 3D printing technology to dental labs in the digitalisation of dentistry?
There are a few that are hugely beneficial in addressing and overcoming the everyday challenges faced by dental labs.
Essentially, embracing digital dentistry through 3D printing improves operational efficiencies for labs. That means replacing tedious, time-consuming work with faster processes thanks to the automated production of orthodontic models and various appliances. This includes newer high-performance applications like digital dentures and surgical guides.
Labs can get time back thanks to the addition of various efficiency-enhancing tools to our technology proposition. They can then redistribute that time across other valuable areas of their operations, such as marketing or staff training.
In addition, with 3D printing, labs can achieve unparalleled precision and accuracy in output quality from what is acknowledged as a vastly more advanced, versatile, and innovative digital-based alternative to traditional methods.
Ultimately, we’re talking about a genuinely game-changing technology that transforms rudimentary labor-intensive jobs – skilled labor that in itself is in increasingly short supply – into faster processes that slash time in some instances from weeks to hours. This also saves labs money, extends the range of applications labs can produce, and delivers unforeseen levels of quality across those applications.
What about the dentists – to what degree are surgeries accessing 3D printing technology and where are the key benefits for this group?
We’re definitely seeing a steady increase in adoption among clinicians as this community increasingly recognises the quantifiable gains they can enjoy – both for themselves and their patients.
Some of the applications in which 3D printing really comes into its own in reducing the process steps are typically those that are the most challenging and time-consuming for dental professionals.
If we take traditional hand-made dentures as an example, this is recognised as a long-winded process for dentist and patient alike. From the impression to making the models and then the wax try-in, then to the processing – it’s a laborious process that requires four or more clinical appointments. This is bad news for the dentist, not only because their patient understandably becomes impatient, but the continued consultations take up valuable chair time that could otherwise be used for higher-revenue driving work.
However, 3D-printed dentures cut the entire process to as few as two visits. This can be both more time- and cost-effective for dentists overall.
It sounds like digital dentures is the standout application most suited to 3D printing?
Yes, it’s certainly up there – not least because it’s one of those that, as I’ve mentioned, is very tedious and requires a high degree of accuracy and durability. I personally believe that digital dentures are poised to explode in growth this year. We have labs using our technology that are growing 100% year on year, based predominantly on this one application area, and the way in which they’re bringing its benefits to the attention of dentists and clinicians. Indeed, worldwide, just under 200,000 digital dentures were produced last year using our platform, and I can see that number doubling this year.
Interestingly, from a market opportunity standpoint, in the US alone, there are 36 million people who are completely edentulous, a figure that is expected to increase. Of those 36 million people, only 13 million wear dentures regularly, which means there are 23 million people who need a denture but don’t wear one. That is attributable to various reasons, but accessibility and cost are key factors.
So how do you see 3D printing addressing that?
Well, from a price perspective, a typical denture currently costs between $400 and $1,000, depending on where the patient gets it. But using 3D printing, it’s possible to design and produce an entire set of dentures for less than $100, so immediately for the patient it is far more realistic price-wise.
And on that, we recently introduced a new flexible, removable partial denture material – or ‘FP3D’ – at this year’s LMT Lab Day in Chicago. This is currently under evaluation by the FDA, and is quite ground-breaking insofar as addressing the material challenges that have been an issue. The key thing with FP3D is that it enables the production and replacement of single teeth, which answers the problem for those missing one, two, or three teeth and is another market outside of those needing a full set of dentures. Importantly, this material enables us to do an entire cost structure for under $35.
This is where the world of dentures is headed via digital dentistry, but there’s still a long way to go. Suffice it to say, there is a massive opportunity for dental labs and dentists to seize this opportunity and leverage the cost-effectiveness of the technology to attract and treat what is a staggering number of edentulous people with something that is finally much more affordable.
That certainly makes sense as a potential opportunity, but what about the initial cost outlay? Is 3D printing affordable for smaller dental labs?
Yes, absolutely, but it always comes back to looking at the specific technology requirements and respective costs to suit your individual lab’s needs and then growing from there. Carbon’s focus is not actually on selling 3D printers to labs. As strange as that sounds, it’s simply because we operate a subscription model, which means that instead of paying for a 3D printer upfront, our lab customers only pay for the equipment as they use it.
This continues to prove very popular, as it gives the customer complete flexibility. They can take an exploratory approach with a short subscription that allows them to try different 3D printers in our range without having to buy them outright. From there, they have the freedom to renew their subscription, return the 3D printer, or upgrade it. As you can imagine, this suits many labs as, right from the start, it decreases the performance risk and compulsion for success that you would otherwise have in a traditional capital investment.
The other aspect that comes with this model is the fact that all updates are automatic, as are preventative checks. So, not only do customers always have the latest performance-enhancing software and tools, but we can also carry out adjustments remotely to maintain machine uptime. In doing so, we are ensuring that the 3D printer continues to deliver consistent, reliable, and accurate production for the lab as a key revenue earner.
Where else can we expect to see advances in the next couple of years and what is Carbon doing to support that?
From our standpoint, and I dare say similar vendors to us, we’re focused on developing and delivering solutions to enable more dental applications that can be produced digitally, as opposed to the tedious manual processes that labs have had to tolerate up until now.
The ability to deliver those solutions will be based to a large extent on our research and development of the appropriate materials, optimised for speed and accuracy. This is something that we continue to have as a priority to address and answer the needs of our customers.
As an example, we are exploring how the FP3D flexible partial material I mentioned can be used beyond single teeth production, harnessing its unique properties and bringing our dual-cure technology to tune that formulation for other applications.
Another challenging requirement we’re hoping to address via our research and development efforts is the creation of a clear aligner material that can be printed directly. So rather than thermoform aligners, we would print sufficiently strong aligners directly to where they can move teeth and to move those teeth over time.
Are there still ongoing challenges that Carbon and other manufacturers are still working to address? If so, what are they?
Being optimistic by nature, I would look upon that question insofar as the opportunities that still exist for us and those serving this same group. I think that there remains the need to continue to educate the dental community on the array of genuinely transformational benefits that this technology can deliver.
That is perfectly normal given the longstanding practices and processes with which many labs have become accustomed, and change doesn’t happen overnight. That said, I would put good money on it that any lab that has embraced 3D printing and integrated it within their operations would likely say that they wish they had done so sooner and that the methods they were deploying previously seem archaic by comparison.
I think there’s also a huge opportunity to drive further automation across processes via software development, but also to shake things up at the design stage, where we are seeing a steady move towards CAD/CAM. After all, even if a lab has the right people to work within the software applications, there could still be a need at the design stage, where often we’re told there are long-standing skillset issues.
Design is the area in which there remains a lot of scope to further automate processes. I can see that, over the next two or three years, the industry will be looking to use AI or machine learning for designing applications like dentures or for designing flexible materials.
OK, as you say, there’s always opportunity to raise the bar even more. Is there anything else that you would like to share?
Only that I would emphasise the incredible efficiency-driving potential of 3D printing for any lab that has yet to acquaint themselves with it. Thanks to the brain trust at Carbon, this already innovative technology continues to push boundaries everyday – be it in the development of versatile feature-rich materials, or the precision and print speed of our 3D printers. All of that spells good news both for labs and their patients alike.
Ready to see what’s possible? Contact the Carbon Dental Team at [email protected] and start your transformation today.
This article is sponsored by Carbon.
