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(All images: Pavel Kijanets)

Thu. 2. January 2025

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I was previously a dental technician and 3D expert at Fibonacci Dental Studio, a compact dental studio focused on complex cases and individual approaches in Tallinn in Estonia. I am currently developing the 3D-printing segment for Tallinna Hambalabor. 3D technology is the future, and we need to dive in today to get experience and adapt our workflows to the current technological landscape.

My personal experience with 3D printing started with Formlabs’ Form 2 printer, and we then tried Veltz and Phrozen printers for a time. We even went for filament printers for producing useful tools for work in the laboratory. However, the best day in my digital journey was when our Asiga MAX UV arrived. This technology opened numerous opportunities for stable and excellent quality work. In this day and age, we are no longer geographically constrained when it comes to our work, but can work both across the country and globally, thanks to digital scanning and expedited worldwide airmail.

Asiga 3D printers allow us to turn any piece of digital data into a physical object in less than an hour. Even if the plaster model has been damaged during production, the MAX UV, combined with scanning and CAD technologies, can print a replica. My favourite aspects about our MAX UV are:

  • Possibility of working fully digitally with articulator and jaw movements: With today’s technology, we can transfer our digital articulation to a physical articulator with 100% precision.
  • Ability to produce solutions to complex cases from one printer with flexibility: With a change of the tray, the system is ready to print with PMMA filament after having just printed a surgical guide. We can now print surgical guides, positioning guides and PMMA components in a couple of prints.
  • Easy scaling to laboratory needs: Integrating the MAX UV was incredibly simple for the team, and it doubled production capacity compared with the previous 3D printers we had used. The next step is to quadruple production rates with the Asiga PRO 4K.
  • Ease and accuracy: Managing restoration cases involving implants to be restored with a single crown or bridge is made easy.
  • Ability to create vertical printed splints: If I am modelling splints with exact function and contacts, it is not possible to put connectors on any occlusal surface without affecting the quality. Vertical prints allow this to be achieved. With 95% of the work done digitally, I simply put a couple of connectors on the distal sides of the terminal molars, and the splint is ready.

“Asiga is my solution for 3D printing.”

One of the most important features of the MAX UV is the open materials system. The selection of validated materials that are present on Asiga’s official website is astonishing. An invaluable benefit for me is that I am not obligated to work with Asiga materials only, but can easily try any materials from dozens of manufacturers, allowing me to adapt my material choices to my needs in terms of quality, price, specifications and accessibility on the market.

When it comes to printing my models, I always go with Asiga DentaMODEL for modelling. The accuracy and surface finish are the best I have found on the market. What is even more amazing is that I also successfully use it as burn-out material, and it always gives excellent results, producing a clean burn-out. For surgical guides, I prefer to work with Keystone’s KeyGuide. I love Asiga DentaTOOTH for Shades A1 and A2, and for Shade A3, I prefer to use FREEPRINT temp from DETAX.

In day-to-day use, the stability of the model produced and the precision are also vital. In those parameters, Asiga never fails me. I can easily plan my work when I have no failures in printing and have a guaranteed result. Before final work goes to the patient’s mouth, it looks very aesthetically pleasing on the model. The appearance of models is also very important to dentists. The colour and texture give a clean and professional look.

In the short term, I would like to see 3D printing in general become even faster, as every 10–15 minutes saved is critical to a laboratory. I am also looking forward to seeing more complex materials come to the market, such as a harder PMMA. Fortunately, thanks to Asiga’s open materials system, we will likely have first access to these new resins.

When looking at the horizon of digital dentistry in general, I foresee that we will be in a world of high-end, AI-assisted machines and tools which will produce almost everything in dental laboratories, and the dental technician will be needed for human control and a final touch to give restorations a lifelike appearance.

3D printing should be an easily accessible, precise, professional tool with a guaranteed outcome and not a burden to use. Asiga is my solution for 3D printing.

Editorial note:

This article was published in 3D printing–international magazine of dental printing technology Vol. 4, Issue 2/2024.

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