The Average Time It Takes to 3D Print a Denture?
The time for 3D printing dentistry designs depends on why you are printing it. If you are 3D printing them to use them as educational tools, display items, or for recreational purposes, you would be using standard materials that are easy to handle and you can also prepare designs easily. Such materials do not require high temperatures and special 3D printers, so the entire process gets completed at a much faster rate.
On the other hand, if you are printing dentures for patient use, the factors involved will change dramatically. Factors such as accuracy, compatibility, biocompatibility, comfort, and safety will require more attention than nonpatient 3D printing of dentures. 3D Printed Dentures must be accurate in design and printing to maximize functionality and prevent damage.
Dentition is unique to each person, and utmost care must be given to ensure the compatibility of dentures with the recipient’s mouth and facial features. This could affect the comfort of the user and the functionality of the dentures. Also, incompatible dentures could cause structural damage to the user’s facial features after prolonged use.
Biocompatibility is another critical factor; biocompatibility cannot be attained using commonly used thermoplastics or photo-sensitive polymers; therefore, high-performance materials that are non-reactive and resistant to damage or breakages must be used. Combining all these factors will drastically increase the time required to complete the printing process. Let’s take a closer look at the denture printing process and how long it takes to print a functional set of dentures.
What Steps Are Involved in 3D Printing Dentures, and How Long Does Each Step Take?
Before starting the pre-requisite steps for 3D Printing, the patient is presented to the dentist, who then conducts an examination to identify the patient's requirements. Based on the findings, the dentist recommends the course of action. The time taken for each case might differ as the dentist might order tests and screenings that are better suited to address the nature of a particular case. Sometimes, the time to obtain the correct diagnosis can go up to a week. Only after the dentist arrives at the accurate diagnosis can they initiate the steps needed to 3D print the right set of dentures for a patient.
1. Intra-Oral Scanning
The first step is to create an impression of the patient’s oral cavity. Before 3D printing came into the picture, patients were required to bite down on pliable materials to create a 3D replica of their mouth and dentition. This was a complex and time-consuming process and caused discomfort to the patient as the process took time and involved holding casts and gels in the mouth until a satisfying result had been obtained.
Intra-oral scanning creates a digital impression of the patient’s mouth using handheld 3D scanner. Technicians prepare the patient and gently move the scanner inside the patient’s mouth; the scanner uses optical technology such as lasers or light to create a digital impression. Real-time feedback in a 3D image ensures that all the necessary details have been captured. If required, adjustments or re-scans can be made to make corrections. Based on the cooperation of the patient and the skill of the technician, the process can be completed in five to fifteen minutes.
2. Creating a Digital Design and 3D Slicing
The digital impression created using the intra-oral scanner is loaded into a 3D CAD software to make the required modifications or to develop new structures. For this, you can use general-purpose CAD tools or CAD tools specifically designed for dental applications. This is the platform on which you create the files that you require for your patient, so it is always safer and wiser for you to choose a premium general-purpose software with powerful features or dental CAD software so that you are equipped with the right kind of tools and features to create designs that are accurate, compatible, comfortable, and safe.
When it comes to choosing software, you have to consider the features that are provided for the price it is being sold at. Tools like ExoCAD are great, but the problem is that it’s very expensive and adding addons for various tasks costs several thousands of dollars too. A good alternative is SelfCAD. You can check out the video below to learn how SelfCAD works.
SelfCAD is a dental CAD software that runs both online as well as on Windows and Mac. This feature of being cross-platform makes it easier for one to save their files both locally as well as online and ensures that users can access their files anywhere anytime.
SelfCAD comes with many interesting tools to help you work on your 3D scans. For example, if there are problems with the meshes, you can use the Magic Fix tool to fix any non-manifold errors.
When you select the Magic Fix tool, you will see a window containing settings that you can tweak based on the design that you are working on.
After applying the settings, you can preview and see if it’s as intended and finalize. In addition tools for fixing your 3D scans there are many other 3D modeling tools that you can use to fill gaps and holes in your 3D scans, especially those in teeth designs. For example, you can use line drawing to draw a design to fit in the gap on your design, as shown below.
When you finish 3D modeling and fixing your meshes, you can prepare the file for 3D printing by clicking on 3D Print option to access the online slicer of SelfCAD.
When you click it, you will be able to see a new Window launching where you can search for your specific 3D printer and then proceed to apply various settings and then save your file as a 3D printer G-code file after 3D slicing.
SelfCAD is easy to use and you can get started just within a few hours and it also comes with many interactive tutorials and there is SelfCAD academy to help you learn or teach 3D modeling. It’s also affordable and you can use one license on different computers. Overall, the design and slicing process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete, though it also depends on additional features you are adding or errors you are fixing.
3. 3D Printing
The actual printing step is the longest process in creating 3D-printed dentures. This can take between 3 and 20 hours, and this time is subject to changes based on multiple factors like the size of your file, the 3D printing technology you are using and other properties such as layer height, print speed, choice of materials, and the capacity of the printer you own are all factors that contribute to the overall printing time. Dentures require a high level of detail printed with high accuracy. Therefore, small layer heights and slow or optimum printing speeds are all necessary to get the best results.
However, modern 3D printers can give you fast and reliable prints within that time. The technology used also affects the time taken. Polyjet and DLP printing takes 3 to 8 hours on average to complete the printing process. However, these times can vary based on other factors. Commonly used 3D printing methods such as SLA and FDM take longer to finish the printing process. SLA takes 4 to 10 hours, whereas FDM is very slow, taking 10 to 20 hours. FDM and SLA are not commonly used for printing dentures. Polyjet and DLP, or advanced versions of these technologies, are used for printing dentures. FDM and SLA are better suited for printing dentures for non-patient use applications.
4. Post Processing
Dentures are greatly dependent on build quality and functionality. 3D Printing is a challenging process. There is always room for some post-processing activities in 3D printing to optimize the quality and functionality of 3D printed dentures. 3D printed dentures will have excess materials such as 3D printing supports, excess material deposition, and so on that need to be removed by sanding or chemical actions.
Apart from this, if the dentures are made using photosensitive polymers, a curing step is required to cement the structural integrity of the printed object. In some cases, cleaning is also necessary to get the best results. The intensity and the nature of the post-processing operations depend on the printing process, and generally, the time taken for post-processing can range from 2 to 4 hours.
6. Quality Control and Fitting
It is essential to ensure that the printed dentures perfectly fit the customer's requirements. Dentures that do not meet these requirements are considered low quality. Based on the observations made during this stage, the dentures can be modified to meet the patient's requirements. Depending on the severity of the non-conformance, the dentist or the technicians can either make minor modifications or even re-print the dentures. The time taken for this can vary between 1 to 2 hours.
What is the Overall Time Taken to 3D Print Dentures?
Before answering this question, we have to understand a few basic things. The first thing to understand is that we'll consider the time taken to print Dentures for patient use only. This is because non-patient dentures can be made using commonly used 3D printers and materials. Functional dentures are made using special polymers and thermoplastics that require special technologies and printers. Secondly, the time taken to address the requirements of a patient is dependent on the dentition and the nature of their problem. Having established these ground rules, we will look at the steps involved in 3D Printing Dentures and the overall time it takes.
- Intraoral scanning: 5 to 15 minutes
- CAD Designing: 1 to 2 hours
- Slicing: 15 minutes to 1 hour
- 3D Printing: 4 to 20 hours
- Post-processing: 2 to 4 hours
- Quality Control and Fitting: 1 to 2 hours
Based on this, the overall time for 3D printing dentures will range between 8 and 29 hours. However, it is important to consult with a dental professional or a 3D printing specialist to get an accurate estimate for your specific case. They will be able to assess your needs and provide you with a more definitive timeline for the 3D printing process as it differs based on the size, complexity, and 3D printer being used.
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