Teeth are a vital part of the human body and are considered to be one of the most important organs. They are in charge of the essential job of grinding up food in their mouths. People who are missing teeth are only able to consume liquid food, which not only hinders their ability to absorb nutrients but also changes their appearance and pronunciation. Even though teeth are strong, once they have been damaged, they are unable to repair themselves on their own. Statistics show that more than 300 million people in my country have some form of tooth defect, which accounts for approximately 25% of the total population. Dentures are the most effective treatment option for tooth damage and defects. The ability of dentures to be chewed withThe effect can reach as much as seventy percent of the real teeth, and it can also alleviate problems with pronunciation and appearance that are brought on by tooth defects.
It was just a few days ago that the first domestic denture dual-laser 3D metal printer that was independently developed by a domestic technical team was officially unveiled. This printer fills the gap in domestic denture metal 3D printing that was previously caused by the lack of dual lasers. On the other hand, the advent of innovative technology has the potential to cut the duration of orthodontic treatment from the typical two years to somewhere between six months and a year.
The most fascinating aspect of Chinese manufacturing is known as intelligent manufacturing. The development of digital technology has reached a leapfrogging zinc die casting products stage. At the same time, it has also made its way into a great deal of other facets of oral medicine, particularly in the navigation of oral surgery, the preparation of restorations, and the production of appliances. The digitalization of stomatology has become the general trend, and the technology of 3D printing made in China has become the pioneering force to promote the transformation of the industrial sector. One of the representatives is the world's first domestic denture dual-laser metal 3D printer, which was unveiled at this time.
The Nanjing Qianzhi Technology team is responsible for the design and development of this apparatus and system. It was established by a senior expert in the field of 3D printing in China, who also served as the company's founder. In the past, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Siemens business unit. After establishing his business in China and moving back there, he turned his attention to the advancement of 3D printing technology in that country. At this exhibition, an innovation for denture metal 3D printing known as the TS300 was presented to the public for the first time. The fact that it possesses two fully-functional laser systems, each of which can operate independently while also operating in parallel, is perhaps its most notable feature. Its benefits include high levels of both efficiency and productivity, the ability to fulfill the timeliness requirements of the dental industry, and the capacity to simultaneously fulfill the printing requirements of large dental enterprises for both fixed and movable products.
Reports indicate that the success rate of TS300 production is 80%, while the success rate of using this 3D printer can reach 99%, which results in a savings of nearly 20% of material loss. This is in comparison to the success rate of the traditional denture production process, which is 0%. The 3D metal printers for dentures that are currently being used in China are, for the most part, single-laser machines. Although Germany's ConceptLaserM2 has achieved dual-laser printing, it is difficult and expensive to become the mainstream option for domestic denture processing in international markets. This is despite the fact that it was developed in Germany. As a result, there is an immediate demand in the current market for a cost-effective dual-laser system that was developed independently in China.
There is a need for this product in the market. Statistics show that my nation requires at least one thousand 3D denture printers in order to keep up with the significant demand posed by its growing elderly population. Nevertheless, as of right now, my nation does not have more than one hundred devices, and of those CNC machining, fifty percent are devices that were imported. When compared to the high price that imported equipment typically demands, which can range anywhere from 5 to 6 million, the cost of the domestically developed TS300 is only slightly higher than 3 million. Second, when it comes to the printing of certain products, the performance of domestic printing equipment is superior to that of imported equipment. In addition, domestic equipment's after-sales response is significantly faster than that of foreign equipment, which means that maintenance after the sale of foreign equipment can be expensive and take a long time.
The 3D printing technology used for ceramic dentures is the one that sees the most use in my country right now. The powder bed selective laser molten metal 3D printing technology is currently the most prevalent type of 3D printing technology used in the direct manufacture of denture crowns. The porcelain metal crowns that are produced using this technology are the most common application product. After the metal crown has been removed, the surface of the tooth is polished, and any other post-treatments that are necessary are performed. The final step in the production of porcelain teeth is to process the tooth with porcelain.
My nation has independently developed high-performance ceramic 3D printers, and we have also launched a production line for 3D printed zirconia ceramic dentures. This production line includes digital scanning and modeling of patient dental models, three-dimensional design of dentures, 3D printed denture green bodies, degreasing and high-temperature sintering, and glazing. Lithoz, 3DCERAM, and ADMATEC are three examples of the kinds of companies that are typical of those that process ceramics using light-curing 3D printing technology. Within the realm of three-dimensional printing for ceramics is another distinctive printing technology known as nanojet technology. Xjet, which is known for its nano-metal jet technology, has copied the metal 3D printing technology and applied it to the ceramic field. One of the significant application directions that this technology can be used for is the production of ceramic dental crowns.
The processing and manufacturing technology of all-ceramic crowns such as zirconia is primarily based on CNC processing technology, which offers benefits in terms of both the accuracy of the product and the efficiency with which it is processed. In spite of this, the price of all-ceramic crowns continues to be relatively expensive because the processing involves the removal of material from the zirconium disc using a cutting tool, which results in the waste of material. On the other hand, the 3D printing technology has an advantage when it comes to the utilization of materials.
It is important to point out that at the present time, metal-ceramic crowns have not been replaced by products made entirely of ceramic, and that both types of crowns continue to be sold. Products made entirely of ceramic are CNC machining quickly becoming the go-to option for customers who place a high premium on appearance but are less concerned with cost. Crowns made of metal and ceramic offer an advantage in terms of price and are also well received by certain consumer groups. The mass customization of cobalt-chromium alloy crowns is the application of the metal 3D printing technology that has seen the most widespread adoption. Because of the competitive price that they offer, porcelain teeth that are made from this kind of metal material still have a large share of the market.
After the creation of an oral model, the production of metal crowns is completed entirely through the use of digital technology thanks to the 3D printing of metal. The production of metal crowns utilizes 3D printing equipment that utilizes selective laser melting of metal. When viewed through this lens, the benefits that metal 3D printing technology brings to the table in terms of the production cost and efficiency of dental crowns become more apparent. It is also important to note that 3D printed wax models or 3D printed resin models that are used to replace wax models are also used in the casting of dental crowns, and both of these technologies have digital features. Wax models can be printed using a 3D printer, and resin models can be printed using a 3D printer.
