3D Systems Launches Industry First Multi-Material Jetted Monolithic Dentures

Marking a first for the dental industry, 3D Systems is introducing jetted, monolithic dentures produced using multiple materials. By producing the dentures with different materials for the gingiva and the teeth in a single print process, the final prosthetics offer durability and esthetics previously unseen in printed dentures, according to a press release.

Debuting at Lab Day Chicago 2024, this new solution is pending FDA 510(k) clearance, but 3D Systems anticipates receiving regulatory approval in the second half of 2024.

The unique materials used to print the teeth and gums in this process are each designed to meet their specific needs. NextDent® Jet Denture Teeth material provides esthetics and stain resistance, while NextDent® Jet Denture Base material offers the fracture toughness and strength required to absorb the impacts dentures face in daily use.

“With each innovation to our digital dentistry portfolio, 3D Systems has been able to help our customers transform the devices they deliver, and how clinicians deliver patient care,” Chuck Stapleton, vice president & general manager, dental, 3D Systems says in the press release. “As we announce our jetted denture solution today, I’m proud that we are once again delivering a truly unique offering to the market. We’ve combined innovation in materials and 3D printing, with software, post-processing, and applications expertise into our monolithic jetted denture solution, designed for high-volume production with unparalleled accuracy, repeatability, and lower total cost of operation. I look forward to seeing this solution change the trajectory of denture production, not only over the coming months but in the years to follow.”

Designed for large, production-style dental laboratories, this new denture workflow offers enhanced efficiencies by eliminating the need to print multiple parts that then need to be affixed together. The system also eliminates the need to design and remove multiple sets of supports, and the supports that are used can be melted off with heat, saving even more time during production, Stapleton tells Dental Products Report in an interview. The ability to design and print dentures with actual root structures in the gingiva further enhances the esthetic possibilities of the new solutions, Stapleton adds.

The new denture solution has been piloted in several dental labs including Glidewell, the world’s largest producer of restorative dental devices. With the commercial launch of this solution, Glidewell plans to expand its use, CEO Stephenie Goddard says in a press release.

“The capabilities presented by the new jetted denture solution are unmatched in the industry. The combination of 3D Systems’ high-speed printing technology and its unique materials deliver dentures with superior durability and esthetics,” she says. “I’m looking forward to our implementation of this solution later this year, and the benefits it will deliver not only for our business but for our customers and their patients.”