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 into the future, and just why it makes sense for dental labs to embrace it.

What difference does 3D printing bring to a lab?

TC It's long been recognised that the adoption of 3D printing technology offers dental labs some principal advantages that are hugely beneficial in addressing and overcoming everyday challenges. 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, including newer high-performance applications like digital dentures and surgical guides. Getting that time back, thanks to the addition of various efficiency-enhancing tools to our technology proposition, means that labs can 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, 3D printing is a genuinely game-changing technology that is transforming rudimentary labour-intensive jobs across the dental sphere - skilled labour that 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.

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Are dentists are getting on board with 3D printing?

TC Across the dental industry, adoption amongst clinicians is steadily rising as this community increasingly recognises the quantifiable gains they can enjoy - both for themselves and their patients. Generally speaking, 3D printing proves particularly valuable in streamlining the most complex and time-consuming procedures faced by these dental professionals.

Looking at 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 to five 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. 3D-printed dentures cut the entire process to as few as two visits, so it can be both more time- and cost-effective for dentists overall.

Among all current applications, digital dentures stand out as one of the most transformative uses of 3D printing - particularly because the process is typically labour-intensive and demands both precision and durability. From a Carbon perspective, we expect digital dentures to see significant growth in the near term; we are seeing dental labs leveraging our technology experience year-on-year growth of over 100%, driven primarily by this single application and their success in communicating its advantages to clinicians. In fact, nearly 200,000 digital dentures were produced globally using our platform last year, and we anticipate that number could double within the next 12 months.

Does this meet the needs of the population?

TC 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. Naturally, this is attributable to various reasons, but accessibility and cost are key factors.

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.

Of course, affordability isn't just a concern for patients - it also plays a significant role in how labs evaluate the cost of adopting the technology itself. While this is often viewed as a barrier to entry for labs adopting 3D printing, a more flexible approach to access - such as subscription-based models - can make it entirely affordable, even for smaller dental labs.

What role does 3D printing play in unlocking the wider digital potential of a practice?

TC The key is in properly evaluating the specific technology requirements and respective costs to suit your individual lab's needs, and then growing from there. With Carbon, for example, 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. 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.

Another benefit of this model is that all updates and preventative checks are automated. This means that 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.

What's next? How does this technology take the next step?

TC Looking ahead, the next wave of innovation lies in developing and delivering solutions that enable more dental applications to 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 the research and development of the appropriate materials, optimised for speed and accuracy. One area of focus is the creation of a material for clear aligners that can be printed directly, eliminating the need for thermoforming. This would allow for the production of aligners strong enough to effectively move teeth over time - reimagining how we approach this process.

What challenges are there to this progress?

TC There still remains a significant opportunity for those within the dental community to further embrace 3D printing technology. A key challenge is continuing to educate dental labs about the transformational benefits that digital solutions can offer. This is understandable, given the established practices and processes that many labs have relied on for years; change is always a gradual process. However, labs that have adopted 3D printing often find that once integrated, they wish they had made the shift sooner, as traditional methods begin to feel increasingly outdated.

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, and it's likely 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.

With such technologies evolving almost day by day and an educated generation of technicians ready and able to embrace its potential, this already innovative 3D printing technology will no doubt continue 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. ◆