The 3D printer for digital dentistry provides its customers with a number of services and applications. Let’s take a look at the apps that have made our lives easier and effortless.
3d Scanning And 3d Modeling For Dental Applications
It is becoming easy to 3D scan a patient’s teeth as dental 3D scanners are now available in the market. If you are working from a traditional CT scan obtained through your scanning process, you will need to use two different software to work on the 3D print. Medical scans are usually in DICOM format, which is not supported by common modeling software. You can use the OsiriX viewer, which allows you to convert and then process your file in 2D or 3D. In this way, you can combine the use of two software and work effectively on computer imaging, known as a CT scan (computed tomography scan).
There are many 3D modeling software available for the medical industry. If not for 3D printing, this 3D software can help you get a good 3D visualization. For better visualization of the problem, the use of a 3D viewer is even more common. 3D modeling software can help you modify and adapt the 3D model to your needs. The possibilities for dental modeling are endless with these tools.
Here are some examples of 3D modeling software you can use for dentistry:
- 3Shape, which is specially created for 3D modeling for dentistry. Different packages are available, it depends on your needs. You can get a version for crowns and bridges, one for scanning, or premium packages with all the different options.
- DWOS Model Builder, CAD software developed by Dental Wings. This 3D software allows you to create models or implants with good accuracy.
- Blender, although not a 3D modeling software intended for medical use, some professionals use this traditional CAD software. If you want more information about 3D modeling with Blender, check out our tutorial.
Desktop 3d Printer Or Online 3d Printing Service?
Once your 3D model is ready, you have two different options to 3D print it.
You can get desktop 3D printers like the Form 2 used by some professionals in the dental industry. Dental 3D printers are increasingly used because they allow the dentist to work directly on his own, thus saving time. Envision TEC 3D printers are also a good solution, allowing direct production to be developed.
If you don’t want to deal with this whole printing process, you can access the 3D printers of an online 3D printing service like Sculpteo. You get affordable access to professional additive manufacturing. You can choose the technique, materials and finishes you need for your 3D printed dental work.
What 3d Printing Technique Should You Use?
It depends on the nature of your project and the use of the object you plan to manufacture. Are they instruments, dental appliances, crowns, bridges? Digital dentistry requires special materials for 3D printing. For dental products, you must use a biocompatible material such as Dental SG or the biocompatible resins offered by Carbon. Some of the resins used for 3D printing in our online 3D printing service are biocompatible resins.
For medical instruments, other medical devices or prototypes, you can choose from a wide range of printing materials. See our 3D Printing Materials page for more information. If 3D printing can be used for manufacturing, it can also be used for prototyping at a lower cost.