Durable and aesthetically pleasing dentures are now possible thanks to Desktop Health’s additive manufacturing innovations.
California-based Desktop Health Inc. has announced that its proprietary resin—Flexcera—has been awarded an FDA 510(k) clearance, deeming it safe and effective for oral health purposes. Developed through a combination of long-chain chemistry and ceramics, the photocurable resin is instrumental in Desktop Health’s goal of combining biomedical fabrication with additive manufacturing for personalized healthcare.
Desktop Health is launching Flexcera as two separate, specialized 3D printing materials: Flexcera Smile and Flexcera Base. The former is a translucent white resin that forms the “teeth” of the denture. The latter is a pink resin that serves as the denture’s “gums”.
“Three years ago, we set out to create a product that addressed the limitations of current 3D printed dental prosthetics—brittleness and poor aesthetics,” said Desktop Health’s CEO Michael Jafar. “The introduction of Flexcera marks the inception of a remarkable new era in dentistry, combining advanced Flexcera science with 3D printing technology to deliver superior strength, aesthetics, and function for patients.”
3D Printed Dentures That are Sturdy and Functional
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 2.3 billion people suffer from decaying or damaged teeth. It is estimated that five percent of all health-related expenditure in developed nations goes into oral treatment, usually in the form of dentures as a long-term, robust solution for patients.
To meet these demands, Flexcera resins offer ceramic-like durability—and are touted to be three times more resistant to fracturing than products already on the market. The resin is also stain-resistant, moisture-resistant, and offers the same kind of translucency, look and feel as natural teeth. All dentures are designed as per the user’s dental structure, granting personalized, made-to-fit pieces.
An Acquired Set of Skills
Desktop Metal launched Desktop Health in March 2021, a month after Desktop Metal acquired EnvisionTEC, a photopolymer additive manufacturing solutions company. As of February 2021, the company had claims to 140 issued and pending patents in the photopolymer additive manufacturing market. With over 5000 customers and nearly 200 materials in its materials repertoire (of which Flexcera is one), EnvisionTEC’s solutions have been widely recognized in the world of medical devices and biofabrication.
Through this $300 million acquisition, Desktop Health has been able to gain leading additive manufacturing expertise in the field of long-chain chemistry resins and ceramics. Just as importantly, it has gained access to everything there is to know about digital light processing (DLP)—the 3D printing technology that EnvisionTEC pioneered back in 2002.
At its core, DLP 3D printers use light from a digital projector to flash a cross-section image of an object onto photocurable liquid resins. When exposed to this light, the resin semi-hardens in the shape of the light. As more images of the light are flashed, additional layers of partially-cured resin are formed which combine to form the final shape of the object. DLP is a sophisticated process that can print extremely intricate geometries at fast rates. Envision One cDLM Dental—which Desktop Health will be using to print Flexcera-based dentures—is frequently considered one of the fastest 3D printers in the world.
Aside from using DLP 3D printing technology, the Envision One cDLM has a bigger build platform, enabling the production of not just larger parts but the printing of as many as eight parts on a single platform. The printed parts must be of the same material. That is, if the Flexcera base is poured into the printer, it can produce a maximum of eight “gums”. If Flexcera smile is poured into the printer, it can only produce a maximum of eight sets of “teeth”. Envision One will not be able to print both teeth and gums at the same time. Additionally, while the parts are printed in less than twenty minutes, they still need post-production work to be fully functional. That said, these dentures are touted as being designed, printed and post-processed on a same-day basis (more on this later).
Streamlining and Simplifying 3D Design
The CAD software used for designing the dentures is a result of EnvisionTEC’s partnership with Exocad, a leading software company that specializes in easy-to-use CAD/CAM software for labs and manufacturers in the dental health industry.
The partnership integrates design software solutions from both companies, producing a streamlined workflow that omits unnecessary steps. The result is that users of all expertise levels can design dentures as needed, and print them.
When paired with DLP 3D printing technology, such straightforward design software aids in meeting the demands of high-volume printing required in the world of dentures. This allows Desktop Health to produce as many as eight customized dentures in a couple of hours.
Expedient Post-Production Saves Even More Time
Once printed, the post-processing is relatively straightforward. It involves submerging the “gums” and “teeth” in separate 99 percent IPA baths and vigorously brushing them to remove excessive resin. Following this, both parts are spray-cleaned and dried.
Once dried, support bumps are ground into the dentures’ “gums”. This isn’t a laborious task due to Envision One’s ability to print precisely and accurately. After another round of cleaning and drying, both teeth and gums are placed in the Otoflash for post-curing. Here, the parts are exposed to 1000 rapid flashes of light that cause them to fully harden. Resin glue is applied in the grooves that will hold the teeth, and the dentures are fully assembled. UV lasers are employed to cure the parts into place. After this, the assembled dentures are subjected to another set of 1000 flashes in the Otoflash. Finally, a wheel and pumice contraption is used to smoothen the inner and outer ridges of the “teeth”, and the dentures are polished.
A New Approach to Dentures
Without additive manufacturing, attaining dentures was a long, complicated process that could take anywhere from six weeks to three months. Variables like the quality of material, the structure of a patient’s mouth and healing time greatly impacted the efficacy and expediency of getting dentures. By incorporating additive manufacturing, however, Desktop Health has created a streamlined process where patients can acquire personalized, life-like dentures in a matter of hours.
“Desktop Health has changed my approach to personalized dentistry,” said Dr. Ryan Dunlop, Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD). “The Flexcera resin delivers on the four cornerstones of why 3D printing works so well: strength, high aesthetics, accuracy and speed. With Flexcera, I am now able to deliver beautiful, high-quality and same-day dental prosthetics in record time, customized to the patients, while they are in the chair.”
