Dentists at the Missouri-based North Kansas City Dental are using 3-D printing to perform same-day restorative dental work, according to Kansas City KSHB.
1. Traditionally, restorative dental work involves creating molds for implant crowns and bridge work, to be placed into the patient weeks after their initial visit.
2. With this new technique, a dentist takes photos of a patient's mouth and proceeds to design the implant using 3-D printing software. The mold is then milled out of porcelain, glazed and placed in an oven.
3. The implant can be constructed in a dental lab by one technician, and it only takes about an hour and a half to complete.
4. Although this technique saves time for both dentists and patients, the cost of the dental work depends on insurance coverage.