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by Dr Joseph Ryan, Symmetry Dental, Kingston, ACT
The SprintRay Pro 95 is a high-end 3D printer in the SprintRay range. I chose to buy it because it has far better accuracy and the software is very effective. It’s an easy unit to use and calibrated to the many materials that are available.
What’s good about it
I’m an oral medicine specialist, so I use the 3D printer predominantly for making occlusal splints for my temporomandibular joint pain patients. I like that I can design my splints using digital scans based on exactly what I think the patient needs. It also means I have a quick turnaround time when I do an in-house splint or appliance. When a patient has an acute condition, I can have their splint ready in 12 to 24 hours.
The software for the SprintRay Pro 95 is very user-friendly. Once the appliance is designed, the file can be sent straight to the printer and printed immediately. It takes around an hour to print out but it’s possible to print four splints at a time. I use Keystone Splint Resin and the printer is well calibrated to that material.
It’s important to learn how to design correctly and get all the undercuts right. The bite registration can be taken with a digital scanner. If you do this, adjustments are minimal when fitting the splint.
I’ve used cheaper printers but there are always problems. I didn’t want to spend time changing settings on the printer itself. The SprintRay Pro 95 comes preset and ready to go. I can’t remember the last misprint or issue I’ve had with it.
What’s not so good
Presently, there are some limitations to 3D printing. If I need a splint that can take a lot of pressure and force, such as when a patient has heavy bruxism, 3D printed materials aren’t strong enough. For those cases, I go back to using PMMA lab-produced splints.
