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industry report dental 3-D printers Structo’s high throughput dental 3-D printers help lay foundation for dental chain to launch own brand of clear aligners FDC Dental Group is a network of 21 clinics in Singapore with a history spanning more than 15 years. With a team of over 30 experienced clini- cians, FDC covers a wide range of treatments, including orthodontics and restorative dentistry and paediatric dentistry. With the recent rise in popularity of clear aligners as an alternative treat- ment to conventional fixed orthodontic appli- ances, FDC has seen a significant increase in demand for these products and recognised the need to internalise its manufacturing process to optimize quality, turnaround time and costs. “Lately, a lot of patients have been requesting clear aligners instead of traditional braces because of the aesthetic appeal and ease of use,“ said Dr Nurul Aizat, CEO and group clinical director of FDC Dental Group. “Having previously relied on an external aligner manufacturer for our cases, we saw the opportunity to start managing the process ourselves in-house, to better control the quality of the aligners and reduce manufacturing cost. We commissioned Structo to assist us with their dental 3-D printers and to set up the entire production line in our facility, “ Aizat added. “The project with FDC was an exciting one from our perspective because it allowed us to take a holistic look at the entire digital process from scanning to manufacturing, “ said Huub van Esbroeck, one of Structo’s founders. “The Structo OrthoForm’s high printing speed and throughput enables businesses like FDC to take control of their own manufacturing process, giving them an edge in the highly competitive orthodontics market.” By insourcing the manufacturing process, FDC has managed to achieve cost savings of up to 50 per cent per patient, which will be shared with the end user to make clear aligners more accessible to a broader demographic. Beside the cost, FDC managed to halve the manufacturing turnaround time from one month to only two weeks upon receiving a case. Faster delivery of aligners to the patient also contributes to AAA Aligners‘ edge over its competitors. “Structo’s mission is to empower businesses like FDC to deliver superior products with the help of digital dentistry and our application- specific solutions. We believe the speed of our printers will allow us to spearhead the widespread adoption of digital dentistry and we are glad we are able to help Dr Aizat and the entire team at FDC to realise the benefits of a full digital work- flow,“ added Huub. Structo’s dental 3-D printers making waves across the industry With its unique application-based product de- velopment, Structo has brought two leading dental 3-D printers to the market. Developed using its proprietary technology, called Mask Stereolithography (MSLA), Structo’s printers are 34 ortho 2/2017