ANSWERS

How does a 3D printed dental restoration work?

A 3D printed dental restoration starts with an intraoral scan, which a lab technician imports into CAD software to design the crown, model, surgical guide, or temporary. The file prints layer by layer in a photopolymer resin printer, typically at 50 to 100 micron resolution.

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Why it works this way

The digital scan replaces the impression

A 3D printed restoration begins where the analog workflow used to end: with an intraoral scanner capturing the prep, adjacent teeth, and opposing arch as an STL or PLY file. That file lands in the lab the moment the dentist hits send. No courier, no plaster pour, no impression material distortion. At Dani Dental we accept files from 3Shape TRIOS, iTero, Medit, and Primescan, and the case opens in our CAD station the same business day.

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Can a 3D printed crown be used as a final restoration?

For permanent posterior crowns, no, not at production scale in 2024. Printable resin and ceramic-filled hybrids exist (Permanent Crown Resin, VarseoSmile Crown plus) but flexural strength sits below milled lithium disilicate and zirconia. They're cleared for select indications. For long-term provisionals up to 12 months, printed crowns work well. For the definitive restoration on a molar under occlusal load, milled remains the standard.

What resin is used for 3D printed dental restorations?

It depends on the indication. Models print in standard model resin. Surgical guides require a biocompatible Class I resin like Dental SG or NextDent SG. Provisional crowns use a Class IIa resin such as Temporary CB or NextDent C&B MFH. Night guards use a flexible splint resin. Each resin has a specific post-cure protocol; using model resin for a surgical guide is a regulatory and clinical failure.

How long does a 3D printed dental restoration take from scan to delivery?

For a printed model and milled crown workflow, Dani Dental ships single-unit crowns in 5 to 7 business days from scan receipt. Surgical guides ship in 3 to 5 business days after case planning is approved. Printed provisionals can ship next-day for emergency cases. The print itself takes under an hour; the timeline is driven by design, post-processing, finishing, and ceramic firing on the final restoration.

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This answer is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.

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