3D Design Keeps Getting Easier for Mills and 3D Printers

 

In office creation and fabrication keeps getting easier for offices.  There are now several Cloud based design systems.  A quick Google search of cloud based dental 3d design software gives you a pretty good idea of just how many of these systems are currently out there.  The best part is they just keep getting better.

This year we upgraded our in-office milling system to the latest from DGSHAPE.  We installed the DWX-43W to stay on the leading edge of what is possible clinically.  We routinely mill pre-fired zirconia and pre-fired lithium disilicate blocks and have been continually impressed by the results.  The real advantage of using pre-fired materials for in-office milling is the fact that we can polish and go straight to bonding without the need for an oven.  The milling takes a bit longer when using blocks that are already sintered, but it saves significant time, as opposed to milling softer blocks and then having to go through the arduous task of sintering them in an oven.

The other amazing time savings is in the design process.  Many of the Cloud based systems allow you to pay only when you download a completed design.  I love 'pay as you go' systems since they allow me to know that I'm not having a monthly payment for a software license.  This business model also lets us try new or different systems.  The systems now available use a significant amount of AI which means that the designs are easy and not nearly as complicated as they used to be.  The designs can be edited at any stage so the doctor gets exactly what they want, but the process is remarkably easier than in the past.

The world of dentistry is changing rapidly and the entire concept of in-office fabrication is one of the biggest changes we're currently seeing.  The design systems allow offices to mill and/or 3D print things economically and efficiently while helping to keep costs low.  If you are not doing any kind of in-office fabrication yet, I truly think you should explore the subject.  You'll be impressed with the simplicity and efficiency it will bring to your workflows.