SprintRay: Enhancing Dental Healthcare Through 3D Printing - MedicalExpo e-Magazine

In recent years, the evolution of 3D printing has transformed the way dental procedures are conducted. As this cutting-edge technology develops, it is paving the way for innovative solutions, helping to deliver improved outcomes for both dentists and patients.

3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing—involves the creation of three-dimensional objects, layer by layer, from a digital design. The dental industry has a very strong use case for 3D printing, which is more economical, scalable, customizable, and clinically beneficial to what came before. 

From the first 3D printed dental applications—such as orthodontic models, implant dentistry and fixed restorations applications—we are now seeing huge advancements in end-use applications, such as dentures and aligners. On the back of these growing applications, the value of the global dental 3D printing market is expected to reach $8.84 billion by 2028, up from $2.1 billion in 2021. 

Innovative Solutions

Founded in 2014, California-based SprintRay is a technology company that builds end-to-end 3D printing ecosystems for dental professionals, with a workflow-driven portfolio of design solutions, materials and printing ecosystems that are designed to maximize the efficiency of dental clinics. 

Over the past two years, the dedicated team of chemists and engineers at SprintRay’s BioMaterial Innovation Lab have been at the forefront of developing new formulations and enhancing proprietary manufacturing techniques. These efforts have paved the way for the next generation of high-quality, 3D-printed dental appliances.

SprintRay’s BioMaterial Innovation Lab recently launched a suite of cutting-edge products. These innovations, including the NanoCure post-curing device, NightGuard Flex 2, NightGuard Firm 2, Apex Base and Apex Teeth resins, represent a significant leap forward in the realm of dental 3D printing technology.

To ensure 3D-printed dental parts are fully biocompatible, they must undergo full polymerization, which involves exposing them to UV light. Without this post-curing step, monomers and oligomers can detach from the part and find their way into the body, creating health risks. Properly cured 3D printed parts also have mechanical properties far superior to those that are improperly cured.  

With a compact design and intuitive touchscreen interface, SprintRay’s NanoCure boasts unparalleled speed, reliability and efficiency. It can cure 3D-printed dental models in just two minutes, employing an innovative, dual-wavelength LED curing process. SprintRay CEO and co-founder Amir Mansouri explained:

“This optimizes the physical properties of the printed parts. One curing wavelength sets the outside of a part before the second wavelength cures the part completely.”

Today, dentures are arguably the biggest opportunity for 3D printing in dentistry, with only a fraction produced additively at the present time. The labor cost of a digital denture, particularly if it can be produced in a single monolithic, full-color piece, is much lower than traditional methods.

SprintRay’s NightGuard Flex 2 and NightGuard Firm 2 are second-generation biocompatible resins. Suited to the 3D printing of flexible night guards in less than an hour, they offer improved durability and patient comfort compared to their predecessors. The company’s new denture resins—Apex Base and Apex Teeth—also boast new formulas, with ceramic filler providing high fracture and wear resistance and dentures now offered in a range of shades and enhanced translucency.

Enhanced Dental Healthcare

SprintRay’s new curing device and resins will increase the efficiency and the quality of 3D-printed dental workflows.  Amir Mansouri said:

“The ability to provide patients with precisely tailored solutions enhances treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. One of the main challenges facing the dental industry today is the lack of skilled laboratory technicians. 

3D printing is not only quicker and more precise, it reduces labour requirements significantly. Within five years I see 50% of the dental market adopting 3D printing technology.”