3D printing in dentistry – A small revolution

Modern braces

When you talk about braces with your friends or family members, you hear the same stories over and over again: thick brackets on the teeth, endless treatment times and unpleasant removal. But thankfully, this image has changed dramatically. Thanks to modern processes of 3D technology and especially thanks to powerful 3D printers, braces look completely different today. And the best part is that they are almost invisible, much cheaper to manufacture and comfortable to wear.

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Many people have heard about 3D printing. But how does it work?

In the 3D printing process, a digital model is sent to a printer filled with a specific material – from metal to plastic and up to resin. This material is then deposited layer by layer and thus transformed into a real product by the 3D printer. This process is known as additive manufacturing. This type of manufacturing has triggered a small revolution in dentistry. Today, surgical templates, crowns, veneers or implants can be perfectly adapted to patients’ teeth and printed out. Furthermore, 3D printing allows the cost-effective production of completely transparent braces made of high-quality plastic – like bestsmile Aligner.

From the 3D scan to the finished Aligners

At your first appointment at bestsmile, you will immediately notice the 3D technology. With a so-called intraoral scanner, a complex 3D model of your teeth is created from millions of individual images – without you feeling a thing. On the basis of this 3D model, the bestsmile dentist can quickly assess whether you are a candidate for the Aligner treatment. If this is the case, your Aligners will then be manufactured in our bestsmile laboratory in Winterthur. In our lab, the tooth models are automatically 3D-printed, a hygienic PET film is pressed onto the tooth models to form the Aligners, quality checks are carried out and finally the Aligner sets are delivered to the practices. Your treatment can begin!

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Teeth straightening at a fair price thanks to 3D technology

3D printing not only makes new types of products such as transparent braces possible, but it also lowers their production cost. For example, bestsmile Aligner braces are manufactured exclusively in Switzerland, which eliminates the need for expensive supply chains. This process ultimately benefits patients: bestsmile Aligner is available for a fraction of the price of conventional braces.

A smile for the environment

This modern technology also reduces the ecological footprint. Short supply chains through our in-house production avoid excessive CO2 emissions. Furthermore, thanks to the efficient automation technology in the bestsmile laboratory, no material is wasted. And after treatment, the Aligners can be recycled. All these aspects make our Aligners the most sustainable clear braces on the market.

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