3D Printing Dentists are Recreating Entire Jaws

3D Printing – Reconstructing Complete Jaw

For basic dental processes, 3D printing has been utilised for years and the technology is much more advanced in reconstructing the complete jaw. A dentist with Dawood and Tanner, Andrew Dawood, informed the audience at WIRED Health that they used to utilise the lost wax technique that had been around for 5,000 years. However, 3D-printing has enabled him to do more with the patients and can be done much faster. He described that he was capable of designing and printing the framework, cutting guides as well as parts required in performing difficult dental surgery.

All that was essential was data gathered from 3D scans together with the records of the patients. For surgery, the plaster of Paris parts used are now 3D printed and Dawood also tends to use plastics, metals and rubber for printing. He states that they are not 3D printing bone yet but will do so one day. The method to make and 3D printed human bone is not established yet though Dawood together with his other surgeons have been utilising bone from other areas of the body in order to reconstruct the complete jaws in most difficult circumstances.

Josh Stephenson’s Jaw Restored

A designer and one of the patients of Dawood, Josh Stephenson had his jaw restored after he had been suffering from a malignant melanoma. He had been diagnosed with an unusual kind of cancer which had spread all over his face. After going through unsuccessful radiotherapy treatment, Stephenson had to undergo surgery for the removal of his left eye, upper left jaw and the roof of his mouth.

It took a huge team of surgeons as well as many months of treatments for the removal of all of the cancer and then to reconstruct his jaw. With the use of a 3D-scanned and printed copy of his skull, it became possible in recreating the missing areas of his jaw.

Dawood had been able in assessing the dentistry work essential from the model of the 3D print and then decide how the surgery in repairing it can be done. By taking the bone from Stephenson’s scapular, the dentist together with the other surgeons had restored his jaw. Dawood comments that by using this kind of technology, they can be more accurate and return the patient to society quicker.

3D Scanning & Printing Method in Creating New Products

Stephenson a graphic designer had been inspired in creating his own line of modified umbrella handle utilising the technology which had helped him with his jaw and has since then used the same 3D scanning and printing method in creating new products. Under normal situations, restoring the jaw of the patient is complex, especially when there seems to be some broken bone and few lost teeth to replace.

Stephenson was essentially missing several of his jaw by the time the cancerous tissues had been removed which made the complicated process all the most complex. However, due to his dental surgeon who had been utilising 3D printing in his practice since 1999, he knew precisely how to organize it to help Stephenson. Andrew Dawood would eventually end up utilising several 3D printing technologies at various stages all through the reconstruction process.