Additive Manufacturing Technology in Orthodontic Devices Development

Traditional wires and brackets has been widely used as orthodontic devices for long time. The metal wires and brackets help to correct the position of teeth as well as fix the cavity. However, metal brace wires have quite a lot limitations. Patients wearing metal brace have many food restrictions and feel not comfortable. Brushing and flossing are required to remove the food debris frequently. Hence, clear plastic aligners have popped up recently. Since the metal brace fabrication process has associated with prolonged process time as a result of a long workflow process starting from brace mold presentation to the prosthesis execution. The growing of additive manufacturing technology make it possible to develop complex structures and shapes of dental brace. By combining 3D oral scanning, it is possible to shorten the lead time of orthodontic treatment process. This review, therefore, investigates the use of Digital Light Processing (DLP) Additive Manufacturing Technology for plastic dental brace development as a remedy to the problems associated with the traditional methods. The study reveals that it is feasible to fabricate these plastic braces utilising the DLP technology. DLP technology is affordable and arguably able to produce dental models with high levels of assurance and accuracy.