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“ The heartbeat of our manufacturing capability is 3D printing ,” he says .
THE STEPS ALONG THE SMILE JOURNEY
There are several ways for customers to begin their “ smile journey ,” Baker says . Those include a visit to one of the company ’ s
SmileShops or to the customer ’ s Partner Network dental provider to get images taken .
1 . PRINTING BEGINS Molds early in the printing process .
2 . EXCAVATING After printing , excess powder that forms around the molds is removed .
3 . SORTING QR codes with radio frequency identification ( RFID ) are used to track the aligners for each SmileDirectClub customer .
If they prefer , or if their local SmileShop is closed , customers can order a doctor-prescribed impression kit to complete at home , using a putty-like material to take an imprint of their teeth that they then mail back to the company along with other information .
Regardless of how they get started , technology allows customers to see exactly what their progress will look like via specialized 3D-imaging software , Baker says . “ We ’ re able to show you how your smile is likely to progress from where you are today to the smile that you ’ ve always dreamed of .”
Next , a treatment plan is developed for review and approval by the customer ’ s treating dentist . Once the customer has signed up , individualized plans are sent to the facility in Antioch , where HP ’ s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing systems produce custom molds that are tailored to each customer and used to shape clear plastic aligners .
The 3D printers follow a set of personalized instructions that specify the precise shape of a mold in a pattern of
voxels , which are the 3D equivalent of pixels . They make each mold by laying down Nylon 12 , an industrial-strength material , in layers only 0.003 inches thick , to create precise shapes and contours . The mold is then used to produce the aligners , which are sent to the customer .
Each customer receives an average of 12 to 18 sets of aligners that they progress through over the course of their treatment , moving on to a new set every one to two weeks . Treatment plans , which specify 22-hour or nighttime-only wear , average four to 10 months , respectively , far shorter than the two years that are typically required for braces . Customers have regular virtual check-ins
4 . FORMING THE ARCHES A precision cutting system is used to assure comfortable fits .
5 . FINAL PRODUCT One of the 40,000 aligners produced each day prior to being transferred for inspection .
with their doctor throughout treatment via the company ’ s teledentistry platform — saving time and making care more accessible to people who don ’ t live near an orthodontist . At completion , customers have the option to order a retainer to maintain their new smile .
MANUFACTURING FOR A MARKET OF ONE , WITH SUSTAINABILITY BUILT IN
One major advantage of 3D printing for orthodontia is its ability to create patient-specific solutions in unique geometries , eliminating the cost of extra tools for shaping each product , says Brandon Ribic , technology director of
America Makes , a manufacturing innovation institute established by the US Department of Defense as a public-private partnership .
“ It ’ s tailored to the shape of your teeth , the location of your teeth in your mouth , and how it conforms to all those curves and crevices and angles ,” Ribic says .
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