EnvisionTEC and AvaDent Partner to Deliver 3D Printed Denture Solutions

EnvisionTEC has been manufacturing dental 3D printers for 10 years now, and has built up an impressive inventory that has grown to well over 40 machines. The company regularly launches new 3D printers, as well as software and materials, and though its products go beyond just the dental industry, it has been known as a leader in dental 3D printing for a long time. This week, EnvisionTEC continued to build on that reputation through a new partnership with AvaDent Digital Dental Solutions.

Last year, EnvisionTEC introduced the first FDA-approved full denture solution for 3D printing. AvaDent provides digital denture software and design services to dental professionals so that dental prosthetics can be quickly manufactured using 3D printing or milling. So far, more than 100,000 dentures have been created using the easy-to-use software, and now the two companies have teamed up to offer a complete digital workflow solution for digital dentures, from impressions and digital design to final restoration.

“While 3D printing a full denture on our 3D printers is easy, digitally designing a denture can be complicated. That’s why we’re so excited to work with AvaDent, which offers easy-to-use software and delivers a tested workflow to labs and dentists,” said EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani.

Dentists can now 3D print lifelike dentures with EnvisionTEC’s FDA-approved E-Denture pink base material and E-Dent 100 and 400 materials, which simulate teeth in various shades. Dentures can be custom fit right in dental offices, and the addition of an EnvisitionTEC Vida desktop 3D printer means that dental professionals can also directly 3D print crowns, bridges, bite splints, gingiva masks and castables.

AvaDent offers several digital denture services including base plates, bonded dentures, monolithic dentures, hybrid dentures, overdentures, pucks and print files. Customers can scan impressions and send the files to AvaDent, which then designs a digital denture with its proprietary Computer Aided Engineering technology. The design file is then sent back to the customer, who can manufacture the dentures through 3D printing or milling, or AvaDent manufactures it for them.

“We see an immediate opportunity for labs and clinicians to begin 3D printing try-in dentures and final restorations, alongside the many other dental applications offered by 3D printers,” said Jan Slor, VP and General Manager of Global Dental Science LLC, which owns AvaDent.

There are a number of benefits to the digital creation of dentures through 3D printing or milling. If 3D printed dentures are lost or damaged, they can be easily remade using the digital design file that was already created. It’s also an easy and painless way to get a perfect custom fit. AvaDent estimates that more than 40% of dentures will be made digitally by 2024, with more of them being made on 3D printers than on mills. Currently, an estimated two-thirds of dental labs use 3D printers.

AvaDent and EnvisionTEC will be exhibiting together this week at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2018, which is taking place February 23 and 24. They will be working to educate labs, dentists and patients about digital dentures. Dentures are considered the most difficult dental prosthetic to manufacture because of complex fit, bite and aesthetic requirements, so the two companies will be elucidating the benefits of making them digitally. They will also be offering a Digital Denture special that includes discounts on EnvisionTEC Vida and AvaDent software packages.

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