Over the last few years, there has been a huge change in the way dental implants are made. An implant is a permanent tooth replacement that restores a patient's smile, bite and chewing. Today, with the use of plastic and metal, the 3D printing or additive manufacturing technology is most sought after alternative in the production of implant-supported crowns and other dental surgeries.

Although prototype fabrication remains critical in medical device research, especially in the dental implant space, it is a challenge accepted by the industry for a better alternative.

The digital approach utilizes scanning, CAD and 3D printing/additive manufacturing thereby provides an alternative to traditional machining, thereby creating a cost-effective and efficient means to device fabrication. Complex structures can be printed repeatedly, accurately and custom-made to suit the required physical properties. Improvements in the process also include post-processing, especially thread pitch and accuracy.