Stratasys Brings 3D Printed Dentures to People in Need

Stratasys is putting its dental 3D printing technology to good use, partnering with a lab in Oklahoma to bring full and partial dentures to people who otherwise couldn’t afford them.

Stratasys teamed up with Express Dental Labs of Norman, Oklahoma, at the recent Oklahoma Dental Association Mission of Mercy (OkMOM) event to deliver its 3D printed dentures to 55 people. OkMOM is a two-day event that provides free dental care to individuals otherwise lacking access to such services.

Patients sit for an inter-oral scan, which Express Dental Labs then used to create the dentures using Stratasys’ J5 DentaJet 3D Printer and TrueDent resin. TrueDent is a patented FDA cleared (Class II) resin developed for 3D printing of permanent dentures, temporary crowns, and bridges specifically on the J5 DentaJet PolyJet printer platform. TrueDent dentures are a full-color continuous print of both denture base and teeth. The proprietary PolyJet multi-material technology ensures a natural looking gum portion of the denture while mimicking tooth structure with optimal translucency in various shades, Stratasys officials said.

The Stratasys J5 DentaJet platform supports batch production of highly aesthetic, monolithic, multicolor dental appliances on a single mixed part, high-capacity tray. The resulting high-fidelity prosthetics eliminate the need to bond teeth while streamlining the digital workflow, reducing labor and materials. Stratasys promises a high-fidelity match between the personalized denture design and the print to ensure repeatable, consistent production of accurate, well-fitting dentures—a  goal that means less chair time, benefitting the entire ecosystem of patients, dentists, and labs.

For the OkMOM event, the dentures were printed overnight and delivered to patients by participating dentists the following day. “Traditionally dentures are labor intensive to manufacture, but when using the Stratasys technology, we can serve many more patients in a shorter amount of time,” says Tra’ Chambers, owner of the Express Dental Labs in the Oklahoma community. Also, because the entire denture is printed as one piece and does not require manual intervention, replacement sets are easier to make.

“Once a digital design is created, if a patient loses their dentures, a replacement can be created overnight with the digital record we have on file,” Chambers explained.

This is the second year Stratasys made its technology available to OkMOM participants. “It is truly gratifying to witness the positive impact that our technology and the expertise of Express Dental Labs has on the lives of those in need, restoring their confidence and enhancing quality of life with better looking and fitting dentures,” said Ronen Lebi, vice president, Dental, at Stratasys. “We anticipate continued adoption of technologies like TrueDent—it increases efficiency and reduces turnaround time for labs while lowering the number of visits and overall chair time for patients.”

Watch this video to get an overview on how TrueDent and the J5 DentaJet printer work in collaboration.

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