Implantology

Elevating dental implants

Advanced 3D printing delivers precise and personalised solutions for optimal outcomes

3D printing process

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Learn how 3D printing transforms dental fabrication,
leading to faster production times and enhanced quality.

Customised implants and accurate placement

Dental implant procedures demand meticulous precision. Success depends on factors like the patient’s unique anatomy—bone height, thickness and critical structure locations. Using traditional methods, implant placement came with considerable uncertainties, but embracing digital design and 3D printing makes accurate placement more achievable than ever before.

Implant fabrication process

Data acquisition: Personalised patient data acquisition builds the cornerstone of 3D printing for dental implantology. This involves taking intraoral impressions and X-rays of the patient’s oral cavity, which provide detailed information about their anatomy, including bone structure, teeth and surrounding tissues. Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans are often used to obtain 3D images of the area where the implant will be placed.
Digital design: Once the data is collected, the dental professional uses dental design software to create a digital model of the patient’s oral cavity. This digital model serves as the foundation for designing the dental implant and related components. Precise planning of the implant’s size, shape and position based on the patient’s unique anatomical features are facilitated by the use of cutting-edge software.
Surgical guide design: In cases requiring pinpoint accuracy, a surgical guide is digitally designed to act as a template for implant placement. This guide fits over the patient’s teeth, ensuring the implant is inserted with utmost precision.
3D printing: Once the digital design and surgical guide are ready, the 3D printing process begins. During 3D printing, layers of material are added sequentially to build the dental implant and any other necessary components. The type of material used depends on the specific 3D printing technology, but it often includes biocompatible polymers, resins or metals.
Post-processing: After the 3D printing is complete, post-processing may be necessary to refine the final product. This can involve removing any support structures or excess material and performing surface finishing to ensure the implant is smooth and compatible with surrounding tissues.
Quality control: Quality control measures are essential to ensure that the 3D-printed dental implant meets the desired specifications. This may include thorough inspections, measurements and assessments to verify the implant’s accuracy and quality.
Implant placement: With the 3D-printed implant and surgical guide in hand, the dental professional can proceed with the implantation procedure. The surgical guide ensures that the implant is placed precisely as planned, factoring in the patient’s unique bone structure and surrounding anatomy.

3D printing applications for dental implantology

Customised dental implants: Traditional implants often come in limited shapes and sizes, making it challenging to achieve a perfect fit. With 3D printing, implants are tailored to each patient’s unique anatomy. This customisation enhances stability, comfort and aesthetics.
Surgical guides: Accurate implant placement is crucial for a successful dental implant procedure. 3D printing allows for the creation of precision surgical guides. These guides fit over a patient’s teeth, ensuring the exact positioning of implants. Surgical guides significantly reduce the margin of error during surgery and enhance overall success rates.
Bone augmentation: 3D printing facilitates the fabrication of allogenic bone graft blocks for bone augmentation procedures. These custom grafts are designed to match the patient’s specific needs, allowing for more efficient and effective bone regeneration.
Prosthetic devices: 3D printing is widely used in the production of prosthetic devices, including abutments, crowns, bridges and other components that complete the implant procedure. The technology ensures a perfect fit, durability and aesthetic appeal.
Aesthetic gingival reconstruction: For patients in need of aesthetic gingival reconstruction, 3D printing aids in the creation of detailed models that guide surgeons in achieving the desired appearance. This is particularly valuable in cosmetic implant cases.
Tissue regeneration: 3D printing creates biphasic scaffolds that support tissue regeneration. These scaffolds are designed to mimic the natural structure of tissues, aiding in the healing process.
Educational tools: Educational institutions and dental programs utilise 3D printed models and tools to train future dental professionals. These models provide a hands-on learning experience, allowing students to practise procedures with precision.

Advantages of 3D printing in dental implants

Precision and accuracy

The core advantage of 3D printing in dental implantology is its unparalleled precision. The accuracy of implant placement can be evaluated using various parameters, such as global deviation, angular deviation, depth deviation and lateral deviation. These parameters help measure the alignment between the virtual planning and the actual implant placement, ensuring that the implants are precisely located as intended.

Customisation and flexibility

3D printing provides customisation, flexibility and freedom in implant design. Dental professionals can adapt the chemical and physical parameters to meet the specific requirements of each patient. This flexibility leads to improved clinical outcomes and greater patient satisfaction.

Preservation of vital structures

Another key benefit of 3D printing is the preservation of vital structures. Highly accurate surgical guides and implant templates are used to protect critical anatomical components such as nerves and blood vessels during dental implant procedures. This approach ensures the success and safety of dental implant procedures.

Time efficiency

The technology significantly reduces the time required for actual patient care. Complex geometric shapes and intricate, interlocking parts that require no assembly can be produced in a single process. Furthermore, 3D printing enables the production of single objects in small quantities with fast delivery, reducing lead times for patient treatment.

Minimal material waste

Traditional manufacturing processes often lead to material waste. 3D printing is far more efficient in this regard, as it only uses the material required for the specific implant or component. This reduction in material loss is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly.

Elevating dental implantology

Digital design’s integration with 3D printing transforms dental implant procedures, offering precision and personalised solutions. This innovative high-precision approach provides better care for patients, making implant procedures more successful. As 3D printing technology advances, it unleashes tremendous potential for ongoing improvements in dental implants, promising brighter smiles and healthier lives for everyone.