Does 3D Printing have a Place in Dentistry?

3D printing is already more widely used in dentistry than many people realise. Everything from drill guides to physical models for prosthodontics use 3D printing. Improvements in 3D printing technology are set to increase its importance in the medical, care and dentistry sectors.

Understanding the place and importance of 3D printing as a dental technology is crucial if you want to be part of the future of dentistry and shape how dental technologies are developed and used.

Check out our Dental Technology courses at the University of Bolton, call us on +44 (0)1204 900 600, or email us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk to find out more.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing refers to the manufacturing of a 3D object one layer at a time. Multiple layers are built up until they form the required item. It is not a new process and several modalities in use now date back to the late 1980s.

Patients have benefited from this technology since the late 1990s. However, the terminology is more recent and caught the public’s imagination when 3D printing technology was used for more disruptive purposes.

3D printed guns and the possibility of creating artificial organs gave 3D printing a bad reputation. The truth is, if you have visited a dentist, had oral or maxillofacial surgery recently, you have likely benefited from 3D printing technology.