A team of plastic and dental surgeons from UC San Diego and Navy Medical Center San Diego recently performed reconstructive jaw surgery using 3D-printed teeth.
Felix Ung, a student at the university, needed two-thirds of his lower jaw removed after a cyst destroyed a large portion of his lower jaw, according to a Dec. 12 news release.
During a series of procedures, a large portion of Mr. Ung’s jaw was removed and replaced with pieces of his leg bone. Mr. Ung also received dental implants and 3D printed teeth. He was discharged in less than a week and has restored function.
The procedure, the first of its kind at UC San Diego Health, is rarely done in the U.S. and around the world, according to U.S. Navy Commander Dan Hammer, DDS.