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If you have periodontal disease, you may need to have gum tissue, teeth, and even jawbone removed to treat severe infection. But did you know 3D printers can help the treatment process in a way that benefits both your provider and you?
Medical and dental professionals have been using 3D printing as a treatment and enhancement tool for some time now. But its relative newness still makes it a surprise benefit for many patients.
Periodontists use 3D printing in the process of gum and bone regeneration and repair, which allows them to solve a number of issues right from their clinic. Ueno Center Dental Specialists is one such facility.
Our founder, Jeremy K. Ueno, DMD, and our other doctors want you to be aware of the many benefits of 3D printing, as well as the ways in which it can make your recovery from periodontal disease easier.
How 3D printing in periodontal treatment works
In the past 10-15 years, 3D printing has become more accessible to dental clinics all over the world, providing dental and periodontal practitioners with more options with which to help their patients.
3D printing can create a model of your mouth, including your teeth, jaw, and gums. This helps us see the specifics of your mouth in vivid detail. Afterward, we can use it to help to recreate teeth, gum tissue, and even bone for regenerative efforts.
The treatment for periodontal disease sometimes requires surgery and removing gum tissue and bone that has been deeply infected. Tooth loss may also be part of the process of severe periodontal disease.
With 3D printing, we not only can see exactly what the new tissue or bone will look like, but the printer can also manufacture a replacement right inside our clinic.
Benefits of 3D printing in treating periodontal disease
Although 3D printing for medical purposes may still seem like the stuff of the future, it’s absolutely a part of dental and periodontal treatment today. And part of the reason is the benefits you and our team receive when utilizing this procedure. Here are three such benefits.
Cost
3D printing is much more cost-effective than manufacturing dental and periodontal products. These intricate devices used to be created by a select group of manufacturers, making them very expensive.
By creating them in-house with a 3D printer, we decrease the costs considerably.
Speed
There’s no need to send your specs to a lab because we create the items we need in-house, saving you and us time. For example, it may take days or weeks for a periodontal practice to receive a manufactured item, while a 3D printer can make one in a few hours.
Quality
3D printers also have an advantage when it comes to creating quality medical products. Because the machine itself has a level of consistency that we believe is higher than at most manufacturers, there’s a considerable leap in quality when using 3D-printed materials, especially with items that have very fine or detailed features.
3D printing benefits everyone
3D printing not only makes it easier for us to create the kinds of materials that are safe and effective for your regeneration post-periodontal surgery; it also allows us to pass cost savings, quality benefits, and more on to you.
Our Campbell, California, office is here for patients with periodontal treatment needs. To learn more, simply give us a call, or make an appointment online. We’re happy to help.