Carbon Brings Its Dental 3D Printing Solutions to National Dentex Labs

The dental industry is becoming more and more infiltrated by 3D printing, and that’s unequivocally a good thing, as things such as molds for aligners, and crowns and bridges can be made less expensively, more quickly and with better precision. A few months ago, Carbon introduced new dental 3D printing resins, demonstrating its eagerness to capitalize on the growing intersection of 3D printing and dentistry. Now Carbon is partnering with the largest network of dental labs in the United States to help it keep up with the latest technology.

National Dentex Labs (NDX) is, by revenue, the largest network of dental labs in the US, with more than 30 local labs as well as domestic and offshore mail-order options. NDX is already ahead of many other labs in terms of its use of advanced technology, including digital dentistry and surgical planning. The company already uses 3D printing to create models, casting and implant guides, but the increasing demand for these items has led the company to look for a new solution to help it keep up with this growth, as well as to provide scalability, fleet management across the install base in different locations, and the ability to report data and analytics.

“3D printing has become integral to the dental industry and NDX is at the forefront of using this innovative technology, so we have deep experience with the many printer technologies on the market. As we evaluated the options, we needed a solution and a partner that could scale with us while offering efficiencies, quality parts, and excellent support and service,” said Tom Daulton, CEO of National Dentex Labs.

The multi-year agreement will see Carbon’s M2 3D printers being placed in NDX labs this year, and will continue to scale through 2019.

“We are thrilled to partner with NDX, and honored that they’ve selected Carbon’s complete dental solution for their labs. Dental is an industry that shows the most promise for using digital fabrication for production at scale, particularly given its rigorous requirements of high throughput, accuracy of prints, fast turnaround, constant uptime and very responsive service,” said Dr. Joseph DeSimone, Co-Founder and CEO of Carbon. “At Carbon, we engage closely with each of our customers to understand their individual requirements, and deliver the one-to-one support and services they need to accelerate their business and create amazing experiences for their customers. We’re there with them at every step of the process.”

Not only does Carbon’s 3D printing technology allow for the fast production of quality parts, but the company also offers a complete solution that allows everything to be digitally traceable, including a unique ID that can be automatically engraved or embossed on every part. The ID can be used to identify the digital historical record of each part, including the specific printer, resin, and post-processing protocols uses. This is especially important in a large network of dental labs, where thousands of parts are produced for specific patients, and particularly as the FDA requires part-specific data to ensure product performance and patient safety.

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