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Bismarck-Mandan Dental Laboratory digitises removable partial denture production
The laboratory adopted Stratasys' TrueSnap digital workflow to increase production capacity, improve denture fit and eliminate remakes while maintaining a three-person workforce.
www.stratasys.com
Application area: Removable partial dentures, digital dentistry, dental laboratory workflows
Industry sector: Dental laboratories, healthcare, additive manufacturing
Bismarck-Mandan Dental Laboratory, a family-owned dental laboratory in North Dakota, specialises in removable prosthetics, with removable partial dentures (RPDs) forming a core part of its business. Growing demand, technician shortages and increasing expectations for faster turnaround times, improved fit and natural aesthetics made the laboratory's traditional manufacturing process increasingly difficult to sustain.
Conventional RPD production involved multiple labour-intensive stages, including waxing, casting and processing, making production time-consuming and susceptible to variability.
To improve efficiency and scalability, the laboratory implemented Stratasys' TrueSnap digital partial denture workflow, which combines TrueDent® 3D-printed denture components with digitally manufactured metal frameworks. The solution was selected to streamline production, improve repeatability and reduce manual processing while maintaining high-quality restorations.
Transitioning to a digital manufacturing workflow
The Stratasys workflow replaced several manual production steps with a fully digital CAD/CAM process in which both the denture components and metal framework are designed from the same digital case data.
Compared with the laboratory's previous workflow, the digital process reduces manual bench work while improving consistency between the printed denture components and the metal framework.
Increasing production capacity
Before implementing the Stratasys workflow, removable partial dentures typically required two to three days to manufacture, and increasing production capacity depended largely on hiring additional technicians.
The digital workflow reduced production time from days to hours, enabling the laboratory to process substantially more cases using its existing workforce.
According to the laboratory, its current three-person team now manages the same workload previously handled by a seven-person operation.
Improving fit and reducing remakes
A major objective of the digital workflow was to reduce the inconsistencies associated with conventional denture fabrication.
Traditional processing could introduce dimensional changes that affected fit, tooth positioning and bite accuracy, often resulting in adjustments or remakes. Using a common digital design for both the denture components and the metal framework improved manufacturing consistency throughout production.
The laboratory reports that the improved process has eliminated remakes while reducing chairside adjustments for clinicians.
Enhancing aesthetics and repeatability
The Stratasys TrueDent workflow also enables multiple tooth shades to be printed simultaneously, allowing restorations to be matched more closely to a patient's natural dentition. This is particularly important for removable partial dentures, where prosthetic teeth must blend seamlessly with the remaining natural teeth.
Because every case is stored digitally, replacement prostheses can also be manufactured directly from the original design data without repeating the complete fabrication process. The laboratory has also completed cases in as few as two patient appointments without producing conventional physical models, demonstrating the repeatability of the digital workflow.
Results
The implementation of Stratasys' TrueSnap digital partial denture workflow enabled Bismarck-Mandan Dental Laboratory to modernise its removable partial denture production while maintaining a lean operation.
The laboratory reports that production capacity increased by up to five times, with manufacturing time reduced from two to three days to a matter of hours. The digital workflow also improved fit consistency, eliminated remake cases, reduced chairside adjustments and enhanced shade matching for more natural-looking restorations.
By replacing labour-intensive manual fabrication with a repeatable digital process, the laboratory established a scalable manufacturing workflow that supports future growth while improving efficiency for both clinicians and patients.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
Industry sector: Dental laboratories, healthcare, additive manufacturing
Bismarck-Mandan Dental Laboratory, a family-owned dental laboratory in North Dakota, specialises in removable prosthetics, with removable partial dentures (RPDs) forming a core part of its business. Growing demand, technician shortages and increasing expectations for faster turnaround times, improved fit and natural aesthetics made the laboratory's traditional manufacturing process increasingly difficult to sustain.
Conventional RPD production involved multiple labour-intensive stages, including waxing, casting and processing, making production time-consuming and susceptible to variability.
To improve efficiency and scalability, the laboratory implemented Stratasys' TrueSnap digital partial denture workflow, which combines TrueDent® 3D-printed denture components with digitally manufactured metal frameworks. The solution was selected to streamline production, improve repeatability and reduce manual processing while maintaining high-quality restorations.
Transitioning to a digital manufacturing workflow
The Stratasys workflow replaced several manual production steps with a fully digital CAD/CAM process in which both the denture components and metal framework are designed from the same digital case data.
Compared with the laboratory's previous workflow, the digital process reduces manual bench work while improving consistency between the printed denture components and the metal framework.
Increasing production capacity
Before implementing the Stratasys workflow, removable partial dentures typically required two to three days to manufacture, and increasing production capacity depended largely on hiring additional technicians.
The digital workflow reduced production time from days to hours, enabling the laboratory to process substantially more cases using its existing workforce.
According to the laboratory, its current three-person team now manages the same workload previously handled by a seven-person operation.
Improving fit and reducing remakes
A major objective of the digital workflow was to reduce the inconsistencies associated with conventional denture fabrication.
Traditional processing could introduce dimensional changes that affected fit, tooth positioning and bite accuracy, often resulting in adjustments or remakes. Using a common digital design for both the denture components and the metal framework improved manufacturing consistency throughout production.
The laboratory reports that the improved process has eliminated remakes while reducing chairside adjustments for clinicians.
Enhancing aesthetics and repeatability
The Stratasys TrueDent workflow also enables multiple tooth shades to be printed simultaneously, allowing restorations to be matched more closely to a patient's natural dentition. This is particularly important for removable partial dentures, where prosthetic teeth must blend seamlessly with the remaining natural teeth.
Because every case is stored digitally, replacement prostheses can also be manufactured directly from the original design data without repeating the complete fabrication process. The laboratory has also completed cases in as few as two patient appointments without producing conventional physical models, demonstrating the repeatability of the digital workflow.
Results
The implementation of Stratasys' TrueSnap digital partial denture workflow enabled Bismarck-Mandan Dental Laboratory to modernise its removable partial denture production while maintaining a lean operation.
The laboratory reports that production capacity increased by up to five times, with manufacturing time reduced from two to three days to a matter of hours. The digital workflow also improved fit consistency, eliminated remake cases, reduced chairside adjustments and enhanced shade matching for more natural-looking restorations.
By replacing labour-intensive manual fabrication with a repeatable digital process, the laboratory established a scalable manufacturing workflow that supports future growth while improving efficiency for both clinicians and patients.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
www.stratasys.com
