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Dubai Produces First 3D Printed Teeth

The finished product after Middle East Dental Lab applied ceramic (Photograph: Middle East Dental Laboratory and Sinterex)
Middle East Dental Lab

Middle East Dental Lab

Tue. 21 February 2017

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Following the announcement that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, would like to transform Dubai into a 3D printing hotbed over the next two decades, we have seen many innovative developments in this exciting new market.

This week saw another first, as Sinterex and the Middle East Dental Laboratory collaborated together to produce the first dental implant bridge to be 3D printed in the UAE.

Sinterex, which is also the first company to be licensed for industrial 3D printing in Dubai, 3D printed a 14-unit framework in Cobalt Chrome alloy at their facility in Jebel Ali Industrial Zone. The framework was printed using a powder bed fusion process, where a fine layer of metal powder is distributed evenly across a platform before being selectively melted using a laser.
Middle East Dental Laboratory then did the ceramic on the metal framework. Resulting in a natural look with a perfect fit.

Julian Callanan, Managing Director of Sinterex, explained that the new metal 3D printing approach has three primary advantages relative to traditional processes: “The first is speed; we can produce up to 70 units in under 4 hours, this could take up to 3 days using traditional casting processes. The second is accuracy; because we use an entirely digital process, we eliminate human manual error which can lead to reworks. The third is cost; the printing process is very efficient and we recycle up to 75% of our raw materials. This efficiency saving is passed on to our customers.”

Thomas Claesen, Managing Director of Middle East Dental Laboratory, added that 3D printing has been an important part of the dental business for some years now, and in the future, he anticipates further moves towards digital solutions. “By using 3D Printing we can provide a faster and more accurate solution for our Doctors.”

3D Printing technology is developing rapidly and Dubai is positioning itself at the epicentre of innovation. The Dubai Health Authority recently noted that they will soon be using 3D technology to print dental molds, meaning that dentists can print 18 molds in 6 hours, as opposed to an hour-an-a-half to make one case using currently available methods.

The article was originally published in Khaleej Times and was written by Bernd Debusmann Jr.

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