What changes when the denture will be printed
A digital denture can be milled or printed. When it will be printed, the design has to suit the printer and the resins the lab uses. The tooth setup and the base are designed in the same way as any digital denture, but the way the files are split and exported depends on how the lab will produce and assemble the denture.
That is why the first thing we ask on a printed denture case is how you print: which printer, which resins and whether teeth and base are printed separately.
Common ways to print a denture
- Separate teeth and base — the teeth are printed in a tooth-coloured resin, the base in a pink resin, and the teeth are bonded into sockets in the base
- Teeth printed as one arch — the teeth are joined into a single piece that fits one socket in the base, which can make bonding faster
- Base with prefabricated teeth — the base is printed with sockets matched to a stock tooth library, and the lab bonds stock teeth
Design details that make printing easier
The fit between teeth and sockets is what decides how easily the denture assembles. The socket offset is set to the bonding material and the accuracy of the printer, so the teeth seat fully without rocking. The tooth library and the base are exported as separate files, named clearly so the right resin goes on the right part.
Base thickness is kept within the range the resin manufacturer recommends, and thin areas are checked before export. Support placement and print orientation are usually done in the lab's printer software, because they depend on the printer. We can leave space for that or follow your own rules.
Records still decide the result
A printed denture is only as good as its records. We need scans of both arches or of the models, a jaw relation record set by the clinician, and the vertical dimension, midline and tooth size information. A scan of an existing denture that the patient is happy with is often the most useful reference. The bite registration guide explains what to capture.
On our price list a full denture design is $50 per arch with a 24-hour turnaround on routine cases, and revisions are included until you approve the setup.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you prepare a denture design for my printer?
- Yes. Tell us your printer, resins and whether teeth and base are printed separately, and we export the files to suit.
- Can a printed denture be duplicated later?
- Yes. The design file is kept, so the same denture can be printed again without new impressions.
- How much does a printed denture design cost?
- Full denture design is $50 per arch on our price list, with a 24-hour turnaround on routine cases.