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LightForce Orthodontics 3D prints customisable ceramic braces

Published on September 21, 2020 by Carlota V.
LightForce Orthodontics

The dental sector has kept reinventing itself since the introduction of 3D printing technologies! And one company that caught our eye is LightForce Orthodontics. Based in Boston, it provides a digital platform to orthodontists to fully personalise 3D printed dental movement tools for their patients. By combining orthodontic acumen, digital treatment and 3D printing they are able to create fully custom-made dental brackets. As you are probably aware, although each patient’s face, jaw and teeth are unique, the vast majority of orthodontic cases have been treated with the same, one-size-fits-all injection molded brackets for many years. LightForce has therefore relied on mass customisation to treat each patient according to his or her needs, using its highly specialised platform.

In fact LightForce’s initial system was designed to compete with metal brackets, but the company is now working on more aesthetic options and examining different materials, while improving its service logistics and supply chain. The creation of the bracket relies on a simple three-step digital workflow: 3D scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing. Its cloud-based planning software is intuitive and allows users to make adjustments directly on the model, custom components are then shipped in 7-10 business days after approval. Unlike conventional brackets, these are 3D printed in polycrystalline alumina ceramic, which according to the company are more precise.

The LightForce technology offers a personalised orthodontic according to patient’s morphology 

One of the main benefits of this technology is that it reduces the number of adjustment visits required: the new appliance is more adapted to the patient’s morphology therefore will result in less discomfort and fewer trips to the dentist. Dr Mazyar Moshiri, a LightForce client explains: “From the initial patient analysis to the design of a personalised treatment plan, the LightForce platform allows our practice to evolve in a predictable manner, while improving patient outcomes.” The company is already a real success with healthcare professionals, and has just raised $14 million in a series B financing round. The investment should enable the company to further develop its 3D printing solution for orthodontics and expand its activities to meet the growing demand for effective dental technologies.

In general, 3D printing applications have been booming in the dental sector for some years now. It is possible to make surgical models, crowns, trays, implants and dentures, each solution being adapted to each patient with high precision. Therefore, a growing number of healthcare professionals are integrating these technologies directly in their practice, as it often starts with a scan of the patient’s mouth. In the future, most probably almost all practitioners will have a 3D solution at hand when we go in for an appointment! If you want to learn more about the LightForce technology in particular, you can read more HERE.

*Cover Image Credits: LightForce Orthodontics

What do you think of this digital workflow to mass customise dental brackets? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Sign up for our free weekly Newsletter, all the latest news in 3D printing straight to your inbox!

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