How do you make clear aligners faster

[Avi Cohen]

One of challenges I hear about with clear aligners is being able to improve internal processes to produce more aligners. One dental lab I know, uses Objet 3D printing to help in their production. What are some of the ways you’ve been able to produce your clear aligners faster?

 

[orthodent]

Making an invisible retainer is easy. Suck down over the plaster model provided by the doctor, or pour up the impression. I am not sure how 3d printing would make that process faster? It would increase production time by quite a bit with logistics and waiting for the model to print. Why print out a model when a plaster model would suffice?

Now if you are talking about moving teeth through software then printing the model for fabrication similar to invialign, then yeah, there may be some benefit, but still, printing the model takes so much more time than pouring a model.

Of course we are forgetting that Align Technologies has patents on that process, so the point is moot. Fun to discuss though.

 

[Teofil]

Hello, it's bean a while since I posted on DNL forum so please excuse my English and spelling
@ Avi
The quickest way to produce clear aligners is, as Orthodent described, by pressure or vacuum forming over plaster model.
The problem with this technique is that you can make one aligner per plaster model. You could even make 3 aligners with one model for simple cases. After the first set of aligners the doctor has to take new set of impressions to make new set of aligners. Repeating the same process counts as time spent on same case.
I started using 3D toys a couple months ago and believe me - the level of precision and tooth movement predictability is way over the human ability.
"Eyeballing" is slower when compared to 3D technique because with this technology you can make like 20 or more aligners at once. Try making more than 3 aligners by hand, or try making 10 or 20 by hand, no way your "eyeballing" will be precise enough.
Scanning, processing and printing 3D models seams to take more time but when you're done you sell more aligners at one "hit" + "spicier" aligner price

@ Orthodent
Align Technologies has patents for some stages of this process, but not all. If you "google" enough you will find that there are many companies all over the world with similar product. There's Clear Correct, Nu Braces in USA, Clear Step in UK. There's a lab in Egypt, Indonesia, S.Korea. Couple of labs in Germany... and so on.
Align is very aggressive in trying to keep this technology for them selves, but I think you can produce aligners freely if you stay "below the radar".
As I know the Align will "go for your head" if you try to use client-based software to communicate with doctors, and you can't officially market more than 5 tray aligner product at once.

I hope I answered some of your questions

 

[Affinity]

Hello, it's bean a while since I posted on DNL forum so please excuse my English and spelling
@ Avi
The quickest way to produce clear aligners is, as Orthodent described, by pressure or vacuum forming over plaster model.
The problem with this technique is that you can make one aligner per plaster model. You could even make 3 aligners with one model for simple cases. After the first set of aligners the doctor has to take new set of impressions to make new set of aligners. Repeating the same process counts as time spent on same case.
I started using 3D toys a couple months ago and believe me - the level of precision and tooth movement predictability is way over the human ability.
"Eyeballing" is slower when compared to 3D technique because with this technology you can make like 20 or more aligners at once. Try making more than 3 aligners by hand, or try making 10 or 20 by hand, no way your "eyeballing" will be precise enough.
Scanning, processing and printing 3D models seams to take more time but when you're done you sell more aligners at one "hit" + "spicier" aligner price

@ Orthodent
Align Technologies has patents for some stages of this process, but not all. If you "google" enough you will find that there are many companies all over the world with similar product. There's Clear Correct, Nu Braces in USA, Clear Step in UK. There's a lab in Egypt, Indonesia, S.Korea. Couple of labs in Germany... and so on.
Align is very aggressive in trying to keep this technology for them selves, but I think you can produce aligners freely if you stay "below the radar".
As I know the Align will "go for your head" if you try to use client-based software to communicate with doctors, and you can't officially market more than 5 tray aligner product at once.

I hope I answered some of your questions

Thanks for the very helpful info, what do you mean by "you can't officially market more than 5 tray aligner product at once."? Does this mean you make your analysis and planning, and even if the movement requires say 20 to 30 aligners, you can only make or sell 5 at a time? can you explain?

 

[Markus Menig]

I Noted that you are located "in der Schweiz".
I grew up in Chur and live now in California.
We have developed a 5-axis mill that can machine dental fixtures out of Titanium and Crome Cobalt. But I want to point out that this is not a "dental mill" only.
Are you talking about "Dental braces". Here is a video showing a process we developed for a customer:"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQDdKGCLIdU". Works excellent.

Grüsse
Markus

 

[Affinity]

Small world Markus.. Im american, currently living in Igis, lab in Landquart.. Did you work in a lab in Chur?

LG!

 

[Affinity]

Cool video Markus, but that seems like a lot of work just to cut out a clear tray from a model?? Is the model milled also? Do you make these mills for dental purposes? Doesnt look like they do zirconia...

 

[Betalab]

I Noted that you are located "in der Schweiz".
I grew up in Chur and live now in California.
We have developed a 5-axis mill that can machine dental fixtures out of Titanium and Crome Cobalt. But I want to point out that this is not a "dental mill" only.
Are you talking about "Dental braces". Here is a video showing a process we developed for a customer:"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQDdKGCLIdU". Works excellent.

Grüsse
Markus

This looks like it does work well. But by the time it's loaded and calibrated and tooled and done its job and taken apart and flash reduced I really wonder if its it better then an apprentice who can do this simple task and also make coffee and chat with you as to what you did with your weekend. Can it do 10 units from impressions received at lunchtime to be out by 2pm ,presuming you got to eat lunch, and cost about $15 per hour and sweep the floor.....I hope the answer is yes