The video below gives a broad introduction to 3D printing and what this printing process looks.

Here, we get an idea of what 3D printing dental models can look like. Note how the material is layered and the supports that are created to hold up the model during the printing process.

The Cost of 3D Printing

Today, many dentists are seeking to own their own printers or to pair with dental labs that offer digital dentistry printing services. The cost-effective printing method and speed of the process is certainly appealing! If you are wondering about the cost, printers can cost anywhere in the range of $500 - $100,000 to own. In addition to this cost, there are some extra expenses to consider when operating these machines:

User training
Software
Printer consumables (an estimate of this from Formlabs is below)
Maintenance and servicing

Formlabs has put together an infographic to give an estimation of the costs and print-times for various dental applications (below). We can see that many of the models, guides and patterns that can be printed cost under $10, with several prints being accomplished at once in a single work day.