3D printing and digital dentistry present new-age solutions with numerous benefits. For instance, they allow customized care, which makes the outcome, such as the crown or prosthetic, authentic. Additionally, the process of producing these solutions is faster and more accurate, meaning prosthetic specialists and dentists can attend to more people. Below, we discuss these new-age solutions in more detail.
How Digital Innovation Shapes Prosthetics and Restorations
Years ago, three key steps were necessary to create a crown or bridge. One, a dentist captured an impression of the teeth and gums to make a mold. Two, a lab technician poured plaster on the mold to produce a cast. Third, a lab handcrafted a model using the cast to create a crown or bridge.
Sometimes, this process took a few weeks because of the crucial readjustments to ensure a precise fit. Additionally, the quality of the crown or bridge depended on the accuracy of the people involved in the process.
The story was not any different for prosthetics. Although the 20th century saw the introduction of lighter metals to replace wood and iron, there was still a need for many adjustments to fit the wearer. Additionally, those designs still limited mobility.
Consequently, the digital age brought innovative technology that is reshaping prosthetics and restorations in the following ways:
Digitization of Design and Measurement
As mentioned, one of the key aspects of the traditional molds was a manual measurement process. Thus, modern technology eliminates the tedious, sometimes inaccurate, manual design. Instead, a specialist uses an intraoral scanner. It captures the dimensions required for the design.
These measurements create a 3D image. Therefore, a patient does not endure the discomfort of impression materials used to make a mold. Prosthetics also use precise measurements through light and laser scanners. They capture the shape of the residual limb to ensure a precise fit.
Digitizing the process also ensures consistent molds that can be repeated anywhere, unlike traditional fabrication, which relied on the skill and technique of each lab. Additionally, it enables compliance with standardized calibration protocols.
Computer-Aided Customization (CAD)
The digital models generated as 3D images enable specialists to customize the design before fabrication. That’s where CAD software comes in. It simulates the design, which enables the specialist to see how it interacts with the surrounding body parts.
For instance, if it is a digital model of a crown, a specialist sees if there is a need for occlusal height or contact point adjustments. In prosthetics, a visual of the design guides a specialist on potential adjustments to the socket thickness or alignment based on the activity level or body weight of the wearer.
These virtual prototypes are more cost-effective to test compared to the physical fittings. The specialists can go back to their screens and adjust the design without having to wait for a physical prototype. Additionally, these 3D designs eliminate the tedious and stressful physical fittings that users endured as specialists adjusted the prototype.
3D Printing
The traditional production timeline was longer because it involved several manual and mechanical steps from capturing the design to manufacturing. In contrast, a 3D printer reads a CAD file and deposits the material layer by layer to create the shape on the file. It takes several hours, unlike before when the design took several weeks.
If corrections are needed, the machine reprints it fast. The whole process, from digitizing the design to 3D printing, enables collaboration of key specialists responsible for producing a solution for a patient. These specialists can access the data in a digital file, and all the changes made reflect on the design as it progresses from the first stage to fabrication.
Integration of Smart Technologies
The use of digital technology in the design process enables integration of smart technologies. For instance, engineers can leave sufficient space for chips or sensors that can modify the finished product later. Thus, prosthetics can contain sensors that read and adjust joint movement to enhance motion. Integrating such components improves user comfort and also helps specialists monitor patient progress.
Similar advanced technology is reshaping restorations. For instance, wireless sensors that rely on artificial intelligence can help monitor occlusion. The real-time data collected can help the specialist decide whether to reshape or polish the crown, or modify the 3D design and refabricate.
Sustainable and Efficient Manufacturing
The traditional subtractive methods carved material to create a restoration design with the precise measurements of the user. Thus, they wasted material as the ceramic or resin block could not be reused. Prosthetics manufacturing also led to waste because it involved filing or trimming the mold to create the required joint component.
In contrast, 3D printing manufactures layer by layer, which conserves the raw material. Additionally, such a precise process reduces the energy required in manufacturing the prosthetic or restoration component.
Another key area that makes these technologies sustainable is the digital workflow. Unlike the numerous physical steps from molding to sculpting, the process now involves digital design files. The specialists and designers can improve the digital files to achieve the required design without all the physical materials needed to plaster and mold. It reduces emissions related to that process. Digital innovation also reduces overproduction because specialists now produce on demand.
Global Availability
Global accessibility also transforms restorations and prosthetics. Portable 3D scanners can capture dental or limb data from patients in remote or small clinics. The clinic then sends the data to a specialized design hub. Next, the local health center receives a printable file for fabrication. As such, patients who could not receive such outcomes have an option. It also reduces the shipping costs that arose from delivering devices fabricated elsewhere.
Conclusion
Prosthetics and restorations have come a long way, with each new development improving the design and patient outcome. One of the most significant phases of this development is the digital age. Component design and manufacturing can now take a few days, and designs are more accurate. Additionally, the digital design process eliminates the stressful molding and physical trial. As such, technologies like 3D printing benefit the user and the environment.
This article was written for WHN by Stacey Peterson, who is a content creator, wordsmith, certified nurse, and health advocate.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Content may be edited for style and length.
References/Sources/Materials provided by:
Telemedicine and Digital Tools in Dentistry: Enhancing Diagnosis and Remote Patient Care – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12113309/
Artificial Intelligence through Wireless Sensors Applied in Restorative Dentistry: A Systematic Review – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119145
Advances in AI-based prosthetics development: editorial – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11325936
Dental impressions – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22671-dental-impressions?
Prosthetics through the ages – https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/prosthetics-through-the-ages
Sculpting the future: A narrative review of 3D printing in plastic surgery and prosthetic devices – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11194296/
The Role and Future Directions of 3D Printing in Custom Prosthetic Design – https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4591/81/1/10
