Trends in the dental sector and 3D printing: new horizons and opportunities

Trends in the dental sector and 3D printing: new horizons and opportunitiesThe dental sector is in a moment of rapid evolution, driven by technological innovation and an increasing demand for aesthetic and personalised solutions.

The persistence of oral diseases such as periodontitis, caries, and malocclusions, the increased demand for dental aesthetics, or the introduction of technologies such as scanners, CAD/CAM systems, and 3D printing solutions are transforming dental practice and improving accuracy and customer experience. We review the current state of the market, future forecasts, and case studies.  

As spending on dental care plummeted during the pandemic, the sector is experiencing rapid adoption of new technologies to adapt to new and changing patient demands.

In fact, between now and 2030, the global 3D printing market is expected to expand at a rate of 23.5%, which is a major boost to the field. Furthermore, as technologies in this field become more common, dental practices will have greater access to 3D printed materials at lower costs.

The Journal of The American Dental Association states that ‘the low cost and simple workflow of additive 3D printing has the potential to improve accuracy and efficiency in clinical dentistry in both academic and private practices’.  

And not only that. If we look at the figures, the 3D dental printing market was valued at $3 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $8.1 billion by 2029.

On the other hand, AI is also playing an important role in this sector, improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental diseases. It can help to make more accurate and efficient diagnoses, thus reducing dentists’ workloads and facilitating clinical decision-making. In addition, AI-powered dental imaging helps automate the interpretation of dental images, recommend treatments, and predict future dental disease.

And let’s not forget robotic and AI-assisted surgery, which offers greater precision, efficiency, and stability, improving outcomes and reducing surgical risks.  

Following on from the previous point, these dental practices need a third party to help them meet their objectives and the demands of their customers.

At Plain Concepts, we have been working for years with companies in the dental sector to help them in the modernization of their processes, such as traceability, early detection of scanning problems, guided surgeries, or the creation of dental alignment software.

Traceability

We developed a unified order tracking platform, whose software integrates with various tools to automatically receive orders and streamline internal tracking.

Once received, the platform monitors each order through design, final polishing, and quality control before shipment. This has significantly improved efficiency, reduced errors, and ensured high-quality dentures. 

Early detection of scanning problems

We created an AI-based detector that enables orthodontic clinics to provide real-time analysis of 3D scans for implant creation, detecting common impression errors. This early detection reduces visits to the clinic for re-scanning, improving efficiency and patient experience.

Our software detects errors such as incorrect bite alignment when dental arches are misaligned, as well as identifying misaligned scan bodies by detecting incorrect orientations, such as when the flat surface of the scan body faces other teeth or rotates inwards.

By integrating AI-based analysis, clinics can optimise workflow, minimise errors, and ensure a more accurate and smooth implant creation process.  

Guided surgeries

We developed software that allows orthodontists to plan the placement of dental implants. To do this, it first aligns the CT scanner with the patient’s 3D dental model, which allows risk areas to be identified when drilling into the gingiva.

In addition, the software is able to generate a 3D model of an aligner, incorporating drill holes, a drill guide, and irrigation tubes. The orthodontist receives this guide, which helps to optimise procedure times and improve accuracy during each intervention.  

Dental Alignment Software

Another service offered to the dental sector allows orthodontists to upload 3D scanner files, whose software leverages AI to automatically segment teeth, generate simulated roots to visualise the most natural movements of each tooth, and display the occlusogram of each treatment step.

It also calculates IPR (interproximal reduction) heights between teeth, guiding the user to the most optimal solution. Once the treatment planning is complete, the case is sent to print, and the user receives each aligner generated for the treatment, ensuring a fast and accurate process.  

To tackle these projects and use cases, we faced several technical challenges, mainly centred on the use of standardised industry formats, coupled with the integration of implemented systems.

The approach to this was based on 4 main pillars:  

• Architecture solutions: We use industry-leading standards and formats to ensure interoperability.
• Cost rationalisation: We secure and leverage investments in core systems.
• API management: Organisations in this sector need to manage APIs as first-class assets throughout their lifecycle, and we ensure this is delivered.
• Quality engineering: Software products meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. 

At a time when software channels a large part of business interactions, being able to accelerate development is a great competitive advantage.

To achieve this, at Plain Concepts, we have our own multi-platform visualisation technology that allows us to obtain the best possible results in projects, as well as to adapt the technological roadmap to the needs of each client. Evergine natively supports the main standard formats in the dental sector, such as STL files for scanning and DICOM files for CT scans.

We recommend you read this article about ‘Loading and viewing DICOM‘, the most common standard for medical images, where we analyse its characteristics and what we are doing with Evergine in this regard.

If you want to start transforming your business and leap into the future today, we can help you! Contact us today, and our experts will study your case to offer you the solution that best suits your needs.