Because of its capacity for enabling patient-specific products and its theoretical aptitude for quick turnarounds, 3D printing has long been identified – by this industry, at least – as a potential solution for chairside dental care. Patients, some say, can be diagnosed and treated with a tailored solution in a single visit.
But this use of the technology has yet to completely take off. Here, Nick Graham, CRO of Formlabs [NG], Ankush Venkatesh, Intrapreneur, Additive Manufacturing at Glidewell Dental [AV], and Roger Maggs (Head of Dental Technology/Dental Lab Manager), Paul Clark (Dental Technician/Deputy Lab Manager) and Liam Addy (Deputy Clinical Director) at the University Dental Hospital, Cardiff [UDH] share their perspectives.
TCT: Chairside 3D printing in dental care - how would you assess the current landscape?
NG: Per our data, chairside 3D printing is used in ~15% of U.S. dental practices. It’s growing, but not mainstream. It has surpassed chairside milling in adoption, yet remains well behind intraoral scanners (60%+) or AM adoption in labs (60%+). Applications include models, splints, night guards, surgical guides, dentures and provisional restorations. Final restorations are still predominantly milled due to superior material properties and aesthetics. Adoption is highest in digitally advanced practices who have a practice lab setup. True same-visit, chairside workflows are limited.
