SmarTech has estimated the number of installed polymer printers in dental applications to outnumber that of metal printers at a ratio of 19:1 today - this will remain consistent throughout the next decade despite metal printer growth of 16 percent CAGR over the next ten years.
Today's polymer dental applications are widespread and mostly take the form of what SmarTech has defined as "Medical Professional Assistance" parts (MPAs). Output like dental models, surgical guides, clear aligner forms, and casting patterns, serve primarily as a tool for the creation or use of a restoration made via other means. This places the current role for polymer print technologies in an important strategic role.
SmarTech believes that, through additive manufacturing, the approach to dental restoration fabrication will change significantly due to the ability to consistently create accurate, unique shapes in a variety of dental materials.
The need for the dental model in the traditional sense - as a fitment and building tool for the final restoration - may ultimately be reduced because 3D printers will be able to accurately produce a restoration that fits perfectly for each patient directly from the printer.
As the clear aligner business model grows and becomes even more competitive, 3D printers will likely be leveraged as a means of direct production instead of as a means to create forming tools, reducing the total process steps and increasing overall efficiency.
All of this points to polymer 3D printing technology in dentistry shifting towards becoming a means of producing a wide variety of dental restorative components that are capable of living in the patient's mouth long-term.
This is a fundamentally different role than polymer print technologies serve today, and future development of print technologies and appropriate 3D printing dental materials will be influenced by this shift. Within each currently established application for polymer print technology in dentistry, there are unique factors to consider for life-cycle planning for 3DP products.
Ultimately polymer and metal print technologies will see some elements of competitiveness against one another for certain roles in dentistry.
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