The future of removable dentures is going digital

Digital immediate dentures

A cutting-edge laboratory

Summum Dental Laboratory is always on the lookout for the latest digital technologies and puts forward its expertise, mastering the art of dental technology. We are proud to offer innovative and advantageous solutions to our denturists and their patients.

Digital removable dentures

Dentures can be said to be digital when CAD/CAM design tools are used. Integrating digital manufacturing methods into the Summum Laboratory simplifies and standardizes traditional routine procedures, increases accuracy, and eliminates many of the laboratory steps we all know regarding removable devices.

The mouse and keyboard replace the spatula and handpiece. Gone are the days of grinding teeth with a motor, curing and roughing acrylics. The use of plaster, wax, and mittens are becoming a distant memory.

The laboratory environment has become simpler, with a more seamless workflow. The number of patient appointments has reduced at the clinic and the need for denture adjustments in the mouth have considerably decreased.

Digital immediate full dentures

Summum Laboratory has selected immediate removable full dentures to explore the digital universe of removable prosthetics, a promising field that is constantly evolving and that will give birth, in the very near future, to other digital removable products for the benefit of denturists and their patients.

Here is an overview of the scanning, design, and production equipment required to produce digital immediate removable full dentures.

Scanning/digital acquisition

The first step is to digitize the initial data from the denturist:

• Primary or final alginate or PVS impressions are cast, and the stone models are scanned by the dental technician using the lab scanner.
• It is even possible to digitize the exact position of the articulator-mounted models to accurately reproduce the patient’s bite.

Virtual design – CAD

The dental technician “designer” is equipped with a powerful computer, a comfortable workstation, and a 3D mouse.

Design software has contributed to the spread of digital prosthetics and enables the processing of scans, as well as the design of immediate full dentures as requested by the denturist.

It is also possible to use official tooth libraries from Lapointe, Ivoclar Vivadent, and many others offering infinite possibilities in terms of creativity. The virtual design is carried out with the utmost care, ensuring an optimal result while respecting the functional and aesthetic parameters of both the professional and the patient.

3D printing – CAM

Once the denture is designed virtually, it must be made tangible through 3D printing.

3D printers are very popular and can print different types of products. They consist of a removable tray containing resin and a curing lamp that prints the layers in superposition until the desired product is obtained.

Thanks to the 3D printing process, the immediate removable denture is realistic, aesthetic and very natural looking.