Profitable, High-Quality Digital Dentures Are Here

We started using an early digital denture system approximately 5 years ago, but it never really took off. More recently, we experimented with some newer printable materials for dentures, and while they had a "cool" factor, they were not quite where we needed them to be.

Everything changed toward the end of 2019, when we were introduced to Dentsply Sirona's Lucitone Digital Print Denture workflow with Carbon printers. It was quickly apparent that this was a true game-changer—not only a cool digital workflow, but materials that are better than what we can fabricate via analog processes. We are thrilled to be rolling out this system.

The wonderful thing about Dentsply Sirona's new materials is that they replicate the beautiful, lifelike esthetics that we have used the Lucitone and IPN brands to achieve for years. We were slightly concerned that red flecks or veining is not yet possible, but every single dentist who has worked with us on these dentures has said that their patients do not notice or mind.

While we have not run over a denture with a truck, we have seen the videos on social media, so it is not difficult to believe that Lucitone Digital Print dentures are a lot stronger than traditional hand-packed material. We have only been using it for a short time, but so far, our dentists say it handles just as well as our traditional dentures, and no fractures have been reported.

In the laboratory, the impact of this workflow has been invaluable. Finding experienced denture technicians is nearly impossible today, and this workflow allows us to digitize the entire process so we no longer need to manually set teeth on a wax denture. We can design dentures digitally, and if a designer is on vacation then we can send overflow work to a design center. I give credit to Dentsply Sirona and Carbon for really setting us up for success on the production end, as well, because their work instructions are so detailed and clear that almost anyone could produce a denture without any training. We are, of course, perpetual skeptics in our laboratory, but they told us the workflow was as simple as scanning, designing, printing the base, bonding the teeth in, putting it in the curing unit, polishing like a traditional denture, and sending it out the door; and it really was that simple.

Our capacity to process dentures at a really high level is through the roof now. This is one of those products that is a win for everybody: the patient, the dentist, and the laboratory. Our ability to be profitable in making a digital denture is now realized.

Key Takeaways

› Esthetics comparable to traditional Lucitone and IPN materials
› Double the strength of analog materials
› Easy to design and produce, with detailed work instructions
› Profitable digital dentures are now a reality

Disclaimer: The statements and opinions contained in the preceding material are not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology.

About the Author

Megan Nakanishi
Director of Operations
Nakanishi Dental Laboratory
Bellevue, WA

Manufacturer Information
Dentsply Sirona
dentsplysirona.com
844-848-0137