Founded in 1966, MA CAD/CAM is a second-generation family-owned dental lab, based in Germany and run by Michael Anger. Known across Europe for its pioneering work with telescopic dentures and bridges, the lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art milling centre filled with modern technology to produce highly customised applications. Traditionally, this is done through CAD/CAM milling technology. As a form of subtractive manufacturing, milling can result in material wastage and requires intensive crafting from highly skilled technicians. It’s no surprise that Mr Anger and his team of 45 dental specialists looked to 3D printing as a complimentary technology providing huge operational benefits to his existing labor-intensive dental operations.
“The dental industry is experiencing a digital transformation”, explains Mr Anger. “For a highly specialised lab like ours, it’s vital to stay ahead of any technological innovations that will streamline our services and provide faster turnaround. “However, our early laser 3D printers just didn’t deliver the accuracy required for dental applications. The post-processing was too labour intensive and involved the use of isopropyl alcohol.”
Due to the increased adoption of intraoral scanning by his customers, Mr Anger recently revamped his 3D-print offering. After some research, he invested in a Stratasys J5 DentaJet professional-grade multi-material 3D printer designed to deliver increased quality and higher accuracy of dental applications while improving overall production efficiencies by printing different applications simultaneously. Following the extremely easy integration of the J5 DentaJet printer into the lab’s existing workflow, Mr Anger decided to invest in, the J3 DentaJet printer, a compact printer with similar multi-material capabilities to scale his production capacity without the additional need for manual labor.
“We were totally blown away by the extremely high level of accuracy achieved by the DentaJet printers”, explains Mr Anger. “I have not seen a comparable technology on the market. Precision printing and no post-processing guarantees excellent patient fit, high standard of care, and reduced chair time. “The DentaJet, powered by PolyJet technology, has opened new possibilities for us –we can print multiple materials at the same time producing different biocompatible applications on the same tray: from rigid, opaque implant models, soft gingiva masks to transparent surgical guides. There is nothing we can’t print nor make a model of! Even models of the upper and lower jaw joined by an articulator, eliminating the need for follow-up adjustments as you’d otherwise find with traditional methods.”
Depending on the size of the models, Mr Anger can print up to 30 models in one run due to the large capacity trays. “On average, we now 3D print around 300 dental applications monthly, resulting in huge time and cost savings”, says Anger. “Equally important, this means I don’t need to employ skilled technicians to operate different printers, changing materials between runs. Our workflow is simpler, we load one tray and walk away.”
“We’re now also able to present models to patients that are more aesthetically appealing as the 3D printer can replicate the colours of the mucosa and teeth from the oral scan. This is an absolute game-changer for patients, providing a much better customer experience whilst improving patient confidence drastically."
Beyond these advantages, colour printing has been a key driver to enable further customization of 3D printed models.
The J5 DentaJet offers full-colour printing, which produces realistic dental models supporting advanced colour matching for restorations enabling faster end results and the opportunity to perfect the design early in the development process. Every model that leaves our lab is a flagship item. The better the model, the better our reputation and the easier the work for the dentist, in particular when it comes to advising patients regarding restorations.”
Looking ahead, Mr Anger feels that there is huge scope when it comes to 3D printing. “At IDS in 2023, I witnessed the next killer application which will revolutionize the way we manufacture customized dental appliances for patients by producing aesthetic, monolithic, multi-color permanent dentures with multiple shade combinations. These high-fidelity polychromatic prosthetics eliminate the need to bond teeth and will further streamline the digital workflow by reducing labour and materials.”
