“Going digital is surely the only route for affordable dental technology, and I would say it’s a must for all forward-thinking dental practitioners.” 

Worcester UK - Merseyside-based Thermadent Ltd., an orthodontic dental laboratory company, recently purchased an Objet30 OrthoDesk 3D printer to help digitise its workflow. The printer was installed by SMG3D – the 3D print division of the Stanford Marsh Group – and Thermadent has reaped the numerous benefits of its newly-digitised work flow.

Since February 2014, NHS Dental Services has been requesting that pre-treatment and post-treatment study models are submitted digitally. This led Thermadent to look at investing in a digital scanner to convert bulky and difficult-to-store plaster study models to 3D digital models. 

Matthew Garnett, owner and Managing Director of Thermadent, explains: “I studied the 3D print market and plumped for an Objet30 OrthoDesk 3D printer, which we sourced from SMG3D. Since installation, the printer has transformed our production processes.”

“Using 3D digital study models means there’s no longer any need to store the physical study models − and we no longer need to worry about plaster model disposal. What’s more, thanks to new GDC regulations, every orthodontic practice now has to keep a record of each patient’s tooth movement indefinitely. To store each patient’s plaster study models would quickly become impossible. With digital study models all you need is a safe, secure place to store the CDs that contain the files.”

Matthew also explains that using the printer in-house has reduced lead times significantly: “The Objet30 has been specifically designed for small to medium-sized orthodontic dental labs like Thermadent. It helps us digitise our workflow from digital file to model, accelerate our production times and increase production capacity cleanly and efficiently.”

He continues: “With our digital workflow, we are able to convert chairside oral scans into precisely accurate 3D printed models, quickly. Additionally – thanks to the precise tolerances and extreme accuracy provided by the printer – our aligners are more accurate and provide a much better fit.

“Going digital is surely the only route for affordable dental technology, and I would say it’s a must for all forward-thinking dental practitioners.

“The team at SMG3D helped me decide which 3D printer was best for my needs thanks to their informed and impartial advice. Their help with installation and integration of the new machine with my existing equipment meant I could get on with the training they provided straight away, which reduced set-up time for the new Objet30 to an absolute minimum. They provided a first-class service all round.”

Adrian Painter, director of Stanford Marsh Group, comments: “Dental professionals such as Thermadent are already reaping the considerable benefits of 3D Print in terms of increased productivity, reduced costs and improved patient experience. We’re delighted to be able to supply the relevant 3D print solutions and offer the support to enable them to seamlessly transition to a digitised workflow.” 

SMG3D’s knowledge and experience of 3D Print is extensive as it has supplied 3D print technology into engineering environments for rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing applications for several years; Representatives from the company look forward to discussing the potential of introducing 3D Print into their workflow process with visitors at the upcoming Dental Technology Show (Birmingham NEC, 22nd- 23rd April 2016).