3D Imaging and Printing in DentistryJan 02 2021

3D imaging is on the rise but the full revolution has yet to take place. The old technology of digital scanning and x-ray methods are completely obsolete but they are still used in dentist offices that have yet to update to newer technology that can more adequately serve their patients.

3D imaging offers exact replication and viewing from nearly all angles inside the mouth. The images are then able to be shifted, turned, and expressed in various forms because they are more flexible than older imaging styles.

3D printing pairs perfectly with 3D imaging because it offers the most effective use of that innovative new technology. Invisible braces can be printed with the 3D printers to exactly match the mold and shape of the mouth without having to create a manual mold of the inside of the mouth.

There is a much smaller margin of error for fit and comfort and it actually provides more flexibility for orthodontists and dentists because it’s easier to make more exact, specific changes to a digital file than to manipulate a physical form.

The effects stretch far beyond the fit of braces, however, as crowns can more adequately seal with a more perfect, aligned fit and each new instrument or device that is printed for a patient is unique and exact for what they need.