Since he opened his practice, Silicon Beach dental, Dr. Fung has embraced digital dentistry. Advanced photography equipment, intraoral scanning, and integrated streaming services in his operatories. Despite his interest in digital, Dr. Fung still had his wax-ups fabricated using traditional methods. While he was happy with the results he received from his lab partner, he wanted to increase the speed with which he could deliver physical models from his digital wax-ups. The solution: a fully digital workflow that prominently features 3D printing.
In this SprintRay Practice Insights, we speak with Dr. Fung to examine the changes that 3D printing has made to his office, including his initial concerns and how the reality of printing matched up to his expectations.
Fully Digital Wax-ups
Integrating new technology can be challenging, no matter how established the technology is. When Dr. Fung first considered bringing a 3D printer into his practice, he had apprehensions about usability. He was concerned that it would just become a paperweight that sat in the corner. But he quickly discovered that the printer was easy to use for digital wax-ups.
With 3D printing, Dr. Fung can deliver completed, fully digital wax-ups to his patients the day after their initial consultation.
Dr. Fung was also concerned that he might have to spend hours just learning how to use digital design software. But thanks to his digital designer, he simply sends the digital files off, along with the patient preferences and photos, to an offshore designer. This individual rapidly completes the 3D model and sends it back, ready for printing.
3D Printing Resources
If you’re considering adding a 3D printer to your dental practice, this Practice Insight is a great place to start. Thanks to recent advances in technology it’s never been easier to bring this technology in-house.
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