3D printing has developed into one of the most promising technologies in almost all areas of life. From the automotive industry to clothing manufacturing, food processing, and even agriculture, 3D printers have found their place in every industry, office or home.
For many years, the dental industry has also benefited from 3D printing. However, due to the high cost, many dentists could not afford a printer a few years ago. However, now the situation is changing. Over the years, the price of dental 3D printers has been declining, but sales have risen sharply. It’s not just big brands and industries, dental hospitals or dental schools that buy them-you can now find 3D printers in many private dental clinics, even in rural areas.
But how can 3D printers prove to be helpful to your practice? Is now the right time to invest in 3D printers?Does it also apply to maxillofacial surgeons, prosthetics or Periodontal dentist? If you are thinking about these issues, please continue reading-because this article explains why you should seriously consider buying a 3D printer for practice.
Why invest in 3D printers?
Here are a few reasons why you joined the 3D printing trend:
Like most dentists, the high cost of 3D printers may prevent you from buying. But look at it this way. Setting up a dental laboratory is not easy. The cost of running a dental laboratory may cost you approximately US$100,000 per year. Now compare it with the initial cost of a normal 3D printer.according to Intelligent TechnologyA data analysis company, the price of 3D printers is expected to fall from US$90,000 in 2016 to US$79,000 in 2021, including the initial supply of materials. There is no doubt that the raw material cost of 3D printing is relatively high, but it is much lower than the cost of maintaining the entire dental laboratory.
- Save your patients
The high cost of maintaining the dental laboratory is also reflected in your patient bill. A traditional porcelain crown can easily cost about $2,000. However, the use of 3D printers significantly reduces manufacturing costs-you can also pass on this savings to your patients.
Like all other customers, patients want quick results-they are often disappointed when they are told that they must wait days or even weeks before they can prepare a crown or bridge. But with a 3D printer next to your chair, you can use digital impression technology to design and manufacture PFM crowns and other restorations in minutes!
No matter how detailed you make physical impressions of patients’ teeth, or how careful your dental laboratory staff are when handling these models, there is always room for human error. There is no doubt that dental appliances made with a 3D printer are much more accurate in size than those made in a laboratory. Therefore, 3D printed restorations or restorations are not only beautiful, but also minimize the chance of secondary dental caries or premature failure of the restoration.
- Simplify dental implants
Implant surgeons usually rely on surgical guides to accurately place implants and their supporting restorations. These surgical guides are usually manufactured in dental laboratories, and there is a risk of human error. If you are an implant dentist, you don’t need fancy or expensive 3D printers to make surgical templates—even a $5,000 3D printer can print out accurate surgical templates in minutes—which helps dentists Implant treatment.
The 3D printer can be used to perform various functions next to the dental chair. The possibilities are almost limitless, from composite restorations and veneers using CAD-CAM technology to orthodontic models, crowns, bridges, and even dentures.according to Intelligent TechnologyAccording to the market value in 2021, the three most common applications of 3D printers in dental practice are PFM substructures, dental models, and surgical guide manufacturing.
- Cross infection control
In the post-Covid-19 era, cross-infection prevention has become a more concern for dentists-to ensure the safety and health of their employees, patients and laboratory technicians.Traditionally made physical impressions are passed through different hands-from the dentist or Periodontist Pass it to the assistant and then to the laboratory staff—increasing the chance of the infection spreading. Therefore, these impressions must be sterilized at every step. 3D printers eliminate this problem because they are handled entirely by the machine.
Perhaps the most useful application of 3D printers in dentistry is Digital Smile Design (DSD). With this technology, dentists can prepare digitally designed new smiles for patients—correcting cosmetic defects—and show them the smile after treatment. Once the patient approves the smile design, just click “Print”, and all the prostheses and restorations needed for the smile transformation will be 3D printed immediately.Thanks to DSD and 3D printing, dentists can now perform complete Beauty smile makeover Less than a day!
Intelligent Technology It is estimated that in 2021 alone, the sales of 3D printing materials are expected to reach about 310 million US dollars.Similarly, 3D printing-related software sales are expected to reach 150 million U.S. dollars in 2021—the estimated total revenue is 9.7 USD 1 billion to 2025. So there is no doubt. This proves that 3D printers will become an integral part of the dentist’s office-now is also a good time to consider buying one for your clinic!
