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The top new dental laboratory technology products of 2022 as chosen by the Dental Lab Products® editorial team.
Most dental labs look a lot different today than they did a decade ago owing to the improvements that have been made to the equipment and technology behind the production of dental restorations. This year alone saw a number of breakthrough launches—including 3D printers and intraoral scanners—designed to upgrade the ever-growing digital dental workflow. Here are 10 of the most exciting innovations in lab technology from 2022.
Intraoral Scanner
VivaScan
A stand-alone and compact intraoral scanning device, VivaScan can be integrated into the practice’s daily routine for a more efficient workflow. Slim, lightweight, and ergonomic, it is flexible enough to fit into all workflows. Thanks to its plug-and-play design (it only needs to be plugged into a laptop via a single cable), it can serve as a mobile, portable system for digital dentistry. VivaScan comes with 2 tips—normal and small—to meet patient needs and offer a comfortable experience. The normal tip is ideal for general scans, and the smaller one is well-suited for hard-to-reach areas.
3D PRINTING
Primeprint
Dentsply Sirona’s new 3D printer uses digital light-processing technology, which polymerizes resins with UV light, and its light projector hardens the resin layer by layer. Primeprint also automates the postprocessing of printed objects. The device is specifically built to integrate into the digital universe Dentsply Sirona is creating with Google Cloud to connect the dental practice and lab across a vast array of procedures. This collaboration will generate new digital solutions for dentistry, powered by artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms at scale and supported by Cloud integration.
Digital Dentures
Ceramill Motion 3
Ceramill Motion 3 is an intelligent hybrid machine that conveniently fabricates digital dentures. Designed for wet and dry operation, it allows users to employ a variety of materials. Because it operates autonomously, the 5-axis milling machine can manufacture during the night and on weekends when connected to the AG.Live platform. Users have the option to access the machine remotely, can receive orders safely and quickly, and can monitor everything related to production and customer service. Integrated analysis functions allow workflows in the laboratory to be analyzed and optimized on an ongoing basis.
INTRAORAL SCANNER
Aoralscan 3
Whether through same-day chairside restorations or clinic-dental lab integrated treatments, Aurident’s Aoralscan 3 intraoral scanner by Shining 3D is designed to provide a state-of-the-art user experience. The third-generation version of the company’s Aoralscan model features a new design, fast scan speed, high accuracy, powerful artificial intelligence processing, intuitive communication, and a 3-year warranty. It can be used for general restorations, implants, and orthodontics. The lightweight scanner has 1-button control, auto antifogging capability, a dynamic LED indicator, and an ergonomic design for optimal handheld operation.
Intraoral Scanner
Glidewell fastscan.io™ Intraoral Scanner
Optimized for dentists to easily submit cases to Glidewell and save $20 or more per unit on restorations, the fastscan.io scanner is integrated with the glidewell.io In-Office Solution to fabricate same-day BruxZir® crowns in the office. It has reversible tips, a detachable cable, long battery life, a built-in UV-C LED disinfecting light, and an ultrafast camera that captures up to 70 frames per second and adds more detail to the scan with every motion. Available in a wired and wireless version, the scanner can be bundled with a portable cart and laptop or computer.
Intraoral Scanner
MEDIT i700 wireless
The MEDIT i700 wireless is a cord-free, comfortable scanner with the same power and capabilities of standard, plug-in scanners. With a scan area of 15 mm by 13 mm, it can capture up to 70 frames per second for smooth and quick intraoral visualization. Paired with MEDIT software, the scanner can open the digital door for clinicians, boosting profits without the need for expensive technology. MEDIT features powerful batteries and an intelligent power management function that switches the device to sleep mode when not in use, saving energy and enabling up to 1 hour of continuous scanning. When the batteries are drained, just plug in and charge overnight.
3D PRINTers
M-Series
Carbon’s all-new M3 and M3 Max 3D printers are designed to provide up to 2.5X throughput improvements for dental models compared with previous generations and advanced end-to-end, idea-to-production capability when combined with Carbon Design EngineTM and Carbon DLS materials. Purpose-built for dental labs, the M3 printer offers faster printing, a simpler print experience, more consistent parts, fast and easy installation, a larger build area, and improved cross-build consistency. The M3 Max offers the same benefits plus a true 4K light engine, enabling double the build area with the same pixel size and density. Both printers offer the same wide range of high-performance materials.
3D PRINTer
Liquid Crystal Magna v.2
Liquid Crystal (LC) Magna v.2 is a completely reengineered LCD-based printer designed to deliver significantly faster print speeds, boost productivity rates, and reduce waste. The product is versatile and well-suited to small-batch, on-demand, and full production applications. Thanks to the latest refinements, the LC Magna v.2 offers substantially increased print speeds. For example, 36 custom dental trays (80-mm Z height) at 250-μm layers can now be printed in 1 hour and 13 minutes. Its new hydrophobic platform is designed to further boost productivity and reduce waste.
3D PRINTers
Einstein™ Series
Desktop Health has launched a new family of 3D dental printers that use digital light processing (DLP) for best fit and finish and Hyperprint™ technology to harnesses the power of heat and closed-loop processes. Meant to deliver accuracy and versatility, the series includes the Einstein (for general dentists who wish to use chairside printing), the Einstein Pro (for small dental labs), and the Einstein Pro XL (for larger labs). It maintains full exocad integration as well as compatibility with 25 leading dental scanners and is also suitable for more than 60 validated biocompatible materials to make it a smooth integration for many dental labs.
3D PRINTer
XiP
Joining the NXE 400 and NXD 200 from Nexa3D is the XiP printer, designed with a smaller footprint and smaller price point, a large build volume, 3.8-L print volume, high resolution, and 50-μm/100-μm/200-μm layer thickness. It also relies on a toolless vat system and a smart resin cartridge, which allows for touch-free material loading and intelligent polymer levels in the vat. This is said to enable greater print optimization. These features are meant to make the workflow faster and more ergonomic.