The first truly affordable 3D printing solution for dental prosthetics

We are excited to share that our partners at Formlabs have launched innovative products in the field of digital prosthetics. This breakthrough has led to the creation of the first truly cost-effective 3D-printed dental prostheses, advancing the capabilities of 3D printing in the dental industry, reducing costs, and streamlining prosthetic production. After thorough testing with dental technicians, the Resin for denture bases and Resin for prosthetic teeth allow dental labs and practices to produce 3D–printed dentures with precision and reliability. At present, these resins are exclusively available in the United States. While Formlabs’ digital prosthetics are certified as biocompatible within the U.S., efforts are already underway to obtain certification in Europe, at which point they will also be available on our platform.

Changing the way dentures are made

Treatments for patients with dental problems have come a long way since the time of the ancient Italians in the 7th century BC in the first phase replacing teeth with partial dentures made from human or animal teeth. Today, 50 million prosthetics are produced worldwide per year, but only 1% are produced using digital tools.

Modern dentures are made of acrylic resin and other plastics. The process of producing dentures is very complex and dental laboratories are finding it increasingly difficult to find technicians with advanced skills and expertise to produce them.

3D printed digital teeth represent an important step towards overall simplification of the process of producing a prosthesis in dental laboratories.

The benefits of a digital workflow for dental prosthetics

Using dental design software and 3D printing to produce dentures offers several immediate benefits:

Low cost production: Cost-effective hardware allows labs to expand production without adding substantial expenses. The material costs about $10 a piece for a full denture, compared to $50 for traditional denture boards and acrylics.

Accurate, consistent, high-quality results: A 3D printed prosthetic means fewer steps and less variability: a more consistent workflow for a quality finished product every time.

Intuitive and adaptable tools: Digital workflow adapts to today’s traditional processes and will be much easier to teach to tomorrow’s digital dental technicians.

Simplified and quick changes: Digital models of prosthetics are reusable, can be easily shared with other people, modifiable and easily reproducible through 3D printing.

Really patient specific: Digital dentures are completely patient-specific.

With an efficient and scalable workflow, intuitive hardware and software, and substantial benefit, digital prostheses will deliver better outcomes for patients, provide more consistent results, and be more inclusive for all who need care.

The Formlabs solution Digitizing prosthetic production fits perfectly into traditional workflows. Although the manufacturing process for creating a digital prosthesis is different from the traditional workflow, the teaching process is very similar.

Fully 3D printed digital dentures are the future of the dental industry. As digital workflows gain traction in the clinic, digital scanning, design and manufacturing will streamline the entire workflow, reducing the number of appointments and the time between the patient’s first visit and the final restoration.

We hope our article was useful!

You can find the process of 3D printing a digital prosthesis Here, guide that includes all the steps to complete.

Also on February 14th, a live webinar will be held on the Formlabs website: In-depth analysis: how to create 3D printed prosthetics; February 14, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (EST), so you can reserve your seat now, Click here!

Conclusion

The launch of Formlabs’ new Resin for denture bases and Resin for prosthetic teeth marks a significant advancement in the field of digital prosthetics, achieving the creation of the first truly cost-effective 3D-printed dental prostheses. This innovation directly benefits the dental industry by substantially reducing costs and streamlining prosthetic production for dental labs and practices. The materials, developed after rigorous testing with dental technicians, offer high precision and reliability. Currently, these products are exclusive to the United States, where they hold biocompatible certification. However, Formlabs is actively seeking European certification, which will pave the way for their international availability and widespread adoption, further solidifying the role of 3D printing in modern dental care.