3D printing solving denture problem… in prison?

Posted By Lucie Gaget on Mar 26, 2019 | 0 comments

3D printing has a lot of benefits to offer to the dental industry. From dental implants to aligners and 3D printed braces, the use of additive manufacturing is really promising in this sector. It could offer new possibilities on different levels, and that is precisely what Texas inmates are about to discover. Is this project about to solve state prison denture problems? Let’s discover it in this blog post!

3D printed dentures for Texas inmates

You read it right, additive manufacturing might soon solve state prison denture problem. In Texas, an investigation made by Houston Chronicle this year explained how difficult it was for Texas state prisoners to get dentures. This lack of dentures is actually a handicap for some inmates in their daily life, making it difficult to eat or speak.

Getting proper dentures can really help these inmates become more confident after getting out of prison, to find a job and get started with a brand new life.

That is why prison officials started to think about a time and money saving technique allowing to get dentures to the inmates: 3D printing. This process would be more convenient and safe, avoiding the need to transport inmates across the state to create their dentures.

Why is 3D printing the best choice for this project?

Mass customization, the priority of medical 3D printing

3D printing allows creating custom made parts, which is particularly useful for the medical sector, and the dental sector! Indeed, this way it is possible to make medical devices completely adapted to the patient. By using 3D scans and 3D modeling, it is totally possible today to create fully adapted dentures for anybody.

A time-saving process

One of the other reasons why 3D printing is particularly adapted to this project is the time-saving aspect of additive manufacturing.

In this case, inmates will get a scan, allowing to create 3D printed dentures adapted to them. This process can be really quick, avoiding some steps and cutting down the whole process from months to weeks!

And … a money saving solution

By reducing the steps… 3D printing appears to be a money saving technique! Including 3D printing in the creation of dentures avoids making impressions and creating molds. It also reduces material waste and unnecessary costs. Even though the whole equipment is quite expensive to purchase, the cost per denture will only be about $50.

If you are working in the dental sector, you could also make the most of these benefits by including 3D printing in your daily work. Want to try additive manufacturing? Send your 3D files to our online 3D printing service and check out all the materials and technologies available. You will get an instant quote for your project! What are you waiting for ?

Subscribe to our newsletter for more medical news about 3D printing.