DT News - UK - Interview: 3-D printers allow us to create a variety of different models

Brendan Day, DTI

Tue. 14 August 2018

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Though the recent advancements in 3-D printing technology and their effect on the dental industry have been well catalogued, less focus has been placed on how these advancements can improve dental education. Dental Tribune International spoke with Alexander Cresswell-Boyes, an instructor and PhD student at the Institute of Dentistry’s Dental Physical Sciences unit at Queen Mary University of London, about how the 3-D printing of artificial teeth has benefited his students.

For how long have you incorporated 3-D printing of replica teeth in your teaching?
The project so far has been running for two years, and until recently, we’ve been using prototype models as demonstration tools. These models have only been presented at public engagement events and to qualified dental students, to get an understanding of how we could implement these models for teaching purposes.

What was it that first made you try this approach? Did the growth of the dental 3-D printing industry influence this decision at all?
The basis of the project came from the dissatisfaction with current artificial teeth from undergraduate dental students. The general consensus is that they’re so far removed from real teeth in terms of anatomy and mechanical properties that it makes performing simple procedures and treatments very difficult. With recent advances in 3-D printing, it was suggested that we try to produce artificial teeth using different materials that would help to resemble the real thing, hoping to offer a more realistic simulation for procedures or at least a high-quality teaching aid. The increase in availability and affordability of desktop 3-D printers has allowed us to create a wide variety of different models.

How have the students responded?
We’re hoping to introduce the models in the upcoming months for the intake of new students, focusing first on showing the differing anatomy in teeth and as substitute models for practical lessons involving dental materials. We’re looking forward to receiving feedback from students and taking into account any criticism or improvements they suggest so that we can improve their learning experience. The feedback so far from qualified students and public engagement is generally positive and has highlighted that it is advantageous to see and feel the different structures of the tooth.

What are the benefits of using 3-D printed teeth instead of more traditional approaches?
3-D printing, when combined with the X-ray micro-tomography facilities that are present at Queen Mary, offers a more anatomically correct model to be produced. Being able to faithfully recreate extracted teeth that have been scanned also allows us to highlight the anatomical variance that you see in different teeth as well as different patients. Not only would these models be anatomically correct, but they would also be reproducible—something that is very desirable for quantifying student outcomes. We’re also able to manipulate these scanned images so that we can create our own geometry to make the model either easier or more difficult, depending on the level of the student.

How long has Queen Mary had 3-D printing capabilities available for educational purposes?
At Queen Mary, there are many well-established 3-D printing facilities within the different schools of the university, such as the School of Engineering and Materials Science. More recently, however, in the Blizard Institute, a new facility dedicated to 3-D bioprinting has been established. In the Dental Physical Science unit, it’s a relatively new technology that’s been introduced. We’re hoping to expand the facilities we have here in the institute in the near future, in order to produce different models in higher quantities.

Do you see the future of dental educational practice materials being based on 3-D printing?
Definitely. It’s incredibly beneficial for visual and kinetic learners like myself to be able to hold and see a 3-D structure, rather than reading from a book. 3-D printing allows images to become solid objects, and with the technology improving constantly, it’s becoming easier and more affordable to introduce them into the classroom.

Thank you very much for the interview.

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