SYS Systems has reported a 350% surge in sales in the dental market, as thousands of patients take advantage of the power of additive manufacturing.
The Derby-based company is working with an increasing number of clinics and laboratories across the UK to install Stratasys’ J5 DentaJet™ printers to create removable dentures that deliver unrivalled aesthetic and functional results in half the production time.
The machines utilise patented TrueDentTM, a groundbreaking CE-marked resin that is extremely durable and, in a sector first, offers the ability to print multiple tooth and base shades simultaneously in a single full-colour, monolithic structure.
“Additive manufacturing is revolutionising the way we make things, and the dental market is the latest to switch on to the benefits,” commented Matt Fulton, Managing Director of SYS Systems.
“It’s a real win-win for dentists and labs. The 3D printed prosthetics are versatile, highly durable and deliver the best aesthetics – all achieved in half the time it takes compared to the traditional route.
“Stratasys’ J5 DentaJet™ is the most advanced printer in this space and, when you combine it with the TrueDentTM resin, it’s not a surprise that demand is soaring in the UK and Ireland. In fact, I think we’re leading the way when it comes to sales of this machine in Europe.”
SYS Systems, which is the UK platinum partner of Stratasys, delivers a complete turnkey solution, including installation, service, maintenance, training and technical support.
Experts from the company have been installing one J5 DentaJet™ every two weeks as more laboratories and clinics come round to its speed, functionality and aesthetic performance.
The flexibility and power of the 3D printer gives dental laboratories access to a solution to fit every need, whether that is monolithic dentures and temporaries to high-quality crown and bridge models.
Some of the first TrueDentTM fittings in Europe took place thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between SYS Systems and Prime Dental Laboratory, the latter a specialist in removable prosthetics and implant-supported dentures.
The Ilkeston-based lab was one of the early adopters of the J5 DentaJet™ and the resin and this had a profound impact on both clinical outcomes and productivity.
Co-owner and Clinical Dental Technician Tim Jackson commented: “From the start of my career, I worked completely analogue, and I would set everything up by hand. In more recent years, we have invested heavily into the digital side of dentistry and have seen a big change with dentists wanting to use it as well.
“Digital dentures have sometimes been a little brittle in the past – not this TrueDentTM material, which I believe is the best printer resin on the market, surpassing everything I could have imagined strength-wise, as well as aesthetics. For example, we’ve thrown it down the corridor and even stomped on it and it’s unbreakable.”
He continued: “Speed has also been important. Creating using an analogue method, we found that 18 dentures would take us around 12 hours to make. Doing the same process digitally, we went down to about six hours, and – now we’ve got the J5 DentaJet™ – we can knock another hour off that just on post-processing those dentures as well.”
One of Prime Dental’s closest collaborators is Zenith Dental Clinic, based in Nottingham. Principal Dentist, Dr Karan Maini, was initially sceptical of digital methods, but has now fully embraced the technology and wouldn’t go back.
“I had many reservations about digital dentistry in general. I was very much of the mindset that I wanted to do everything traditionally. I didn’t even use a scanner at all.
“After I tried a scanner for the first time, I thought that’s quite good. Then you try another time, and it starts to get really interesting. Before you know it, I’ve been introduced to TrueDentTM and Stratasys through SYS Systems and here we are. Every denture I make is now a TrueDentTM denture.
“Digital adoption has had a big impact on our clients and our patients, with reduced chair time and patients being able to get their desired end result within a matter of days rather than weeks.”
Part of the Carfulan Group, SYS Systems is located in a £2.5m Advanced Innovation Centre in Foston, near Derby.
It has been a UK platinum partner for Stratasys since 2012 and is currently the leading supplier of Stratasys dental 3D printers in Europe.
Prime Dental Lab case study:
Simon’s Patient Story:
For further information, please visit www.sys-uk.com or follow the company across its social media channels.
Patient Case Study
Simon from Nottingham, a recent recipient of a TrueDent denture, had a mouth full of decay before embarking on his denture journey at Zenith. He described the life-changing impact of the treatment.
“My confidence had gone to the point that I’d start mumbling in sentences because I couldn’t speak properly. It was a nightmare. Also, I couldn’t eat certain things because I just couldn’t chew them.
“I needed to do something for my confidence and to get back out there after a very long time of not being out there. I had spent about a decade just avoiding people.
“The fact I’ve got 3D printed teeth now is incredible. It’s mind blowing. It looks amazing.
“The fit of the TrueDent material is incredible. It just fits perfectly. It’s snug. It doesn’t feel like plastic in my face like previous dentures have done. They feel smaller, but I don’t think they are. I think they’re exactly the same size.
“It is actually incredible. I feel like they’re my teeth, they look like my teeth, they look real. I’m just going to go straight out there and not be conscious or have to think about that at all.
“It’s a strange feeling and I’m really excited about just going out and doing stuff. I couldn’t be happier, it’s amazing. It’s changed my life.”
