DWS Systems are pioneers in 3D printing. The company has has created the first-ever fully automated dental 3D printer allows dentists to make prosthetics with the touch of a button. With the technology the dentist is able to take a scan of the patient’s inner mouth, then import the file to a computer, and simply click ‘print’.
The advance in stereolithography and digital dentistry was made at the LMT Lab Day and Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter Meeting, February 22 to 24, 2018, which was held in Chicago.
Here Italian based DWS demonstrated two groundbreaking autonomous 3D printer. The first additive manufacturing printer showcased was the LFAB, which has been designed to produce dental models, surgical guides and prosthetics for dental laboratories. The second printer was the DFAB, which is intended for the dentist’s office. The printer can rapidly produce high-precision color-matched prosthetics.
For use with the printers, DWS devised a material called Temporis, with good mechanical strength values. This is a new class of biocompatible material intended for long term use. The material has also been developed with the aim of the prosthetics looking natural and being customizable to have the same color as the patient’s teeth. Patient-specific color gradient is achieved using Photoshade technology.
Both the material and the so-termed FAB family of printers have the aim of increasing efficiency and reducing the number of procedures necessary to produce dental prostheses. The printers can generate five-element precision bridges in less than 20 minutes.
Commenting on the launch of the technology, DWS founder Maurizio Costabeber said: “The formation of a dedicated dental unit leverages the most powerful portfolio of lab and clinic digital dental solutions on the market today. This positions DWS to better serve the American dental market, and offer its latest products to labs and clinics around the world.”
The technologist added: “We believe that our decades of experience in digital dentistry, together with our advanced materials, push button user-experience, and precise, fast printing can successfully meet the demands of this multi-billion dollar market.”
The development highlights continuing uplift in functionality and quality of 3D printing technology.
