When invisible teeth aligners were introduced, 3D printing technology made waves in the orthodontic industry. Utilizing the 3D technology developed in 1983 by Charles Hull, the invisible aligners (Invisalign) introduction created a new niche in the orthodontic market.
However, although the 3D technology has been brilliant and has helped people align their teeth without attracting the negative attention associated with metallic braces, it looks like we have been ignoring the elephant in the room regarding invisible aligners—the plastic waste it generates. Approximately forty pieces of the 3D invisible aligners must be made for each patient before they can finish their tooth alignment process. These 40 pieces for each patient end up dumped in the ocean.
According to a market report published on Business Wire, as of 2020, Invisible teeth aligners developed by Align Technology had been used by over 10.9 million people to treat dental misalignments. So, you can only imagine that by the end of 2020, Invisalign had generated more than 400 million pieces of plastic waste which probably ended up in our oceans.
Fortunately, orthodontic treatment is constantly evolving to improve patient results and environmental safety. This can be seen in the most recent development that is making a huge buzz—4D printing.
What's 4D Printing in Orthodontics?
4D (four dimensions) printing takes three dimensions (3D) printing and adds the fourth dimension of time. In four-dimension printing, the invisible teeth aligners manufacturers add the element of movement to the three-dimension printed parts, allowing the Invisalign to change shape over time.
The stimulus for this type of movement is a change in the temperature, a kinetic process that changes the shape of the 4D-printed teeth aligner. To drive this point home, think about adding a JISCOP NiTi Wire to move a tooth in your patient's mouth vs. a series of wires featuring progressive bends that change their shape and position to help the patient achieve their desired tooth alignment.
When dynamically thinking of 4D printing (like in the way we have described using the wires), you can learn that in the same way Nitinol wires helped revolutionize bracket systems—such as the Guber Metallic Self-Ligating Bracket—4D printing has the potential to revolutionize digital orthodontic treatments.
Whether removable or fixed, appliances utilizing 4D printing can help improve orthodontic treatment efficiency. They can also use digital workflows to incorporate numerous diagnostic and imaging tools we have today to solve the patient's problem better.
But Does 4D Printing Work for Orthodontic Treatment?
This is a common question among orthodontists when analyzing new orthodontic treatment methods for their patients. Luckily for you, a research study conducted in 2022 investigated the effectiveness of using 4D printing in improving teeth alignment.
In the research study, scientists analyzed the effectiveness of custom-made 4D aligners in correcting maxillary central incisor malposition. After analyzing the results from the study, the researchers determined that the 4D aligners were effective and achieved significant tooth movement—they moved the teeth by about 3 mm.
The researchers concluded that the study showed using 4D-printed aligners has the potential to move teeth using biocompatible orthodontic forces. Therefore, if you are worried about 4D Invisible aligners not working, this research study gives you a reason not to be concerned.
What Benefits Does 4D Printing Offer the Orthodontic Industry?
1. You Can Reduce Treatment Costs for Your Patients
When using disposable OrthoApnea or Invisalign to improve their oral structure, your patients will have to return for more products as their mouth structure changes over time. Since the 3D printed products retain the same shape and size, when the mouth structure adjusts with time, the 3D effects lose their usefulness and have to be replaced.
4D printed products, on the other hand, change as the mouth changes. Therefore, your patient can wear one aligner until they achieve their desired alignment. In addition, by eliminating the need to buy new aligners every time patients visit your office, 4D printing can lower the treatment cost.
2. Waste Reduction
As noted earlier, one patient will need up to 40 aligners by the time their teeth reach the designed alignment. Unfortunately, all of these aligners go to waste, with most of them ending up in our oceans. In addition, this waste is non-biodegradable and will keep filling our oceans and causing a negative impact.
With 4D printing, however, each patient will only need one aligner to fix their teeth—similar to how a patient would need one JISCOP NiTi Closed Coil Spring to close space between their teeth. This will significantly lower the amount of waste generated by orthodontic treatments where patients need to straighten their teeth.
3. Potential Use of New Materials
While the current tests on 4D printing are being performed on the same materials used for 3D printing, there is a chance that we might move past that and adopt applied materials. For example, orthodontists may be able to use materials that "remember" their shape and actively transform over time as a response to specific environmental stimuli.
For example, such materials could find a new application in Maxillary Skeletal Expansion. They could allow orthodontists to simultaneously use an MSE Refill Kit for expanding a constricted upper jaw while, at the same time, using an aligner that remembers its shape and hence keeps the teeth' alignment from changing as the jaw expands.
Final Thoughts
We are not disputing that 3D printing has produced results in the orthodontics industry. However, one challenge with 3D printing is its static nature.
In the orthodontic industry, 3D printing only facilitates static restoration processes. Unfortunately, this often results in waste as orthodontic patients need to acquire new aligners to push their teeth to the next step.
Luckily, with the introduction of 4D printing, orthodontists may be able to replace static 3D printing. Adding time to 3D printing and allowing the aligners to move over time and respond to specific stimuli, 4D printing could eliminate the need for getting more than one aligner to fix teeth misalignment. Above, we have discussed how 4D printing will benefit the orthodontic industry.
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