1 Million Dental Parts 3D Printed by Carbon and Keystone

Carbon and Keystone Industries just hit a milestone with the successful production of one million dental parts, highlighting the steady progress in 3D printing for dental manufacturing. In just 314,000 hours and using 11,200 liters of Keystone materials, they manufactured custom parts like nightguards, surgical guides, denture try-ins, gingival masks, and sportsguards, all produced using Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology.

Carbon Keystone dental model. Image courtesy of Carbon.

Carbon’s journey with Keystone began with a vision: to disrupt the dental manufacturing world by introducing high-volume 3D printing. This vision took shape when they launched KeySplint Soft Clear, a material designed specifically for use with Carbon’s DLS technology. The result? Dental labs now have access to custom dental products that are not only comfortable but also durable and aesthetically pleasing for patients.

As the duo continues to grow their partnership, the range of materials available for Carbon’s printers has expanded, giving dental labs more flexibility and precision. Each material is designed for specific applications within the dental industry. For example, KeySplint Soft Clear is ideal for creating flexible and comfortable nightguards, while KeySplint Hard provides a more rigid option for the same purpose. The trademarked KeyGuide creates surgical guides with remarkable clarity, and KeyDenture Try-In ensures a perfect fit before final denture fabrication.

For dental restorations, the proprietary KeyMask material mimics the appearance of gum tissue, and KeyGuard offers a strong material for printing protective sportsguards. All of these materials are part of Carbon’s broader strategy to provide dental labs with the tools they need to produce high-quality, custom parts efficiently, ensuring that patients receive better, faster dental care.

Carbon dental model. Image courtesy of Carbon.

Since introducing KeySplint Soft Clear in 2019, the relationship between Carbon and Keystone has only become stronger. Together, the two companies have continued to innovate, developing new materials validated for use with Carbon printers.

This shift to 3D printing has led to faster, more personalized care for patients. For example, the production of custom dental appliances like nightguards and surgical guides, which once took weeks using traditional methods, can now be completed in days thanks to innovations like Carbon’s DLS technology. This efficiency is a key driver in the growth of the dental 3D printing market, which generated $4 billion in revenue in 2022, according to a report by Additive Manufacturing Research, accounting for nearly one-third of the overall additive manufacturing market, and is continuing to grow rapidly.

Carbon dental lab. Image courtesy of Carbon.

What sets Carbon apart from traditional 3D printing companies is its ability to scale. Printing a million dental parts shows that Carbon has gone beyond small-batch production. With its advanced DLS technology, dental labs can now ramp up production, making custom parts faster and more precisely than ever before, the company claims.

“Reaching this milestone is a significant achievement for our partnership with Keystone and a clear indicator of the direction in which dental manufacturing is headed,” concluded Phil DeSimone, CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon. “We are not just a 3D printing company; we are pioneering a new era of high-volume custom manufacturing to meet the demands of today’s dental industry.”

Keystone is not the only partner helping Carbon make waves in the dental industry. Carbon has collaborated with several key players to push the boundaries of 3D printing in dental care. For example, it teamed up with Henry Schein, a leading distributor of healthcare products, to bring Carbon’s 3D printing technology to dental labs and clinics.

Additionally, Carbon partnered with Dentsply Sirona, one of the largest dental product manufacturers, to integrate its DLS technology into Dentsply’s production of custom dental prosthetics. This collaboration has allowed greater precision and efficiency in producing high-quality dental appliances. Carbon also worked with Candid, a direct-to-consumer orthodontics company, to create clear aligners using Carbon’s advanced technology.​ With each new partnership, Carbon continues to redefine what’s possible in the world of dental manufacturing.