RAPID PALATAL EXPANDER MADE USING DIRECT METAL LASER SINTERING TECHNOLOGY

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into dental specialists' everyday practice. Their development enabled options in diagnostic imaging, prosthetics, and implantology, never seen before, which are now regarded as digital revolution. Orthodontics is not an exception; these technologies are used for archiving models, digital set-up and aligners manufacturing. The employment of CAD/CAM technologies improved the abilities of planning and making prosthetic constructions. The CAD/CAM system comprises the following components: a digital imaging scanner, CAD-software for construction planning, CAM-software for generating NC data, which will be transmitted to the end-product digital manufacturing machine. Our purpose is to present the possibilities of the CAD/CAM technologies for a rapid palatal expander (RPE) manufacturing.
Aim:
Our objective is to demonstrate the advantages of CADCAM methods and, particularly, the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) for RPE manufacturing.
Materials and methods:
Models were scanned with SWINGTM laboratory scanner. Exocad Dental software was used to plan the construction. The appliance was manufactured by DMLS and the screw was further fixed by a laser soldering machine.
Results: The method we used has many advantages. Before all, the very precise positioning of the screw when planning the appliance. The other elements are planned against this position. The dental base and the bearing structure are all-in-one with a laser-soldering fixed screw. Soldering with a low melt solder and the related adverse effects are avoided.
Conclusions:
The employment of CAD/CAM technologies in orthodontic appliances planning and manufacturing results in lower manufacturing time, reduced possibility of technological errors, higher end-product precision and enhanced patient comfort.


Keywords: RPE, CAD/CAM, direct metal laser sintering

Vladimir Petrunov

DDS, MSD, PhD, Associate professor, Orthodontics Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University – Sofia, Bulgaria