UltraThineer, a 3D printing-based dental product developed by Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), has demonstrated success in treating extreme tetracycline staining via a current scientific case. Dr. Tai Ha at Newport Seashore Dental Studio utilized UltraThineer’s no-prep, zirconia veneers to rehabilitate a 49-year-old affected person dissatisfied together with her smile resulting from deep intrinsic discoloration from childhood antibiotic use.
In keeping with Dr. Ha, the affected person had tried a number of at-home and in-office whitening therapies through the years with no success. She expressed curiosity in a conservative remedy that may lighten her darkish enamel whereas preserving their pure form. Utilizing a completely digital workflow—together with intraoral scanning, digital smile design, and additive manufacturing—Dr. Ha employed 120-micron-thick zirconia shells fabricated via BMF’s micro-precision 3D printing expertise. “UltraThineer’s potential to ship ultra-thin, extremely opaque zirconia veneers—simply 0.12mm thick—allowed us to fully masks the staining with no enamel discount,” stated Dr. Ha. “The esthetic outcome exceeded the affected person’s expectations whereas preserving 100% of her pure enamel.”
Remedy started with the collection of shade from the VITA information. A take a look at match confirmed the design previous to placement. The process included ultrasonic cleansing, hydrofluoric acid software for 60 seconds, and subsequent cleansing to arrange the veneers. Porcelain primer and bonding resin have been utilized earlier than everlasting cementation. On the affected person’s enamel, a plaque indicator and phosphoric acid etching have been carried out to optimize the bonding floor. Dr. Ha then positioned the veneers utilizing a no-prep adhesive protocol, making certain margins have been clear and occlusion was checked. Radiographs confirmed correct placement, and an evening guard was delivered to guard the restorations. Observe-up appointments at 7 and 14 days confirmed the affected person’s satisfaction with the outcome.
UltraThineer’s uniform thickness all the way down to 80 microns permits it to successfully masks deep discoloration whereas preserving pure enamel. Its design additionally helps future removing utilizing erbium lasers, enabling sufferers to take care of flexibility of their remedy plans, providing a brand new strategy to smile rehabilitation.
Boston Micro Fabrication, based in 2016, makes a speciality of micro-precision 3D printing for healthcare, life sciences, electronics, and machining industries. Its proprietary Projection Micro Stereolithography (PμSL) expertise powers the microArch system, producing high-resolution 3D prints for analysis and short-run industrial manufacturing.
Additive Manufacturing’s Rising Position in Dental Options
At IDS 2025, Carbon, a U.S.-based developer of CLIP 3D printing, launched the AO Suite—a complete post-print automation system—and Lucentra, an answer for producing clearer aligner fashions. The AO Suite contains instruments just like the AO Backpack, which options automated separation blades and resin reclamation to help cost-effective manufacturing, in addition to the Computerized Print Preparation (APP) system and the AO Sharpening Cassette, which polishes elements throughout printing to cut back handbook ending. Since launch, the AO Backpack has processed over 18,000 prints.
In parallel, Axtra3D, acknowledged for its high-speed stereolithography methods, has expanded its dental options portfolio with 4 new resins for the Lumia X1 printer. Every resin is designed for a selected scientific software, together with orthodontic fashions, nightguards, detachable dentures, and direct printing of crowns and bridges. These supplies are paired with pre-configured print parameters to boost accuracy and consistency. Furthermore, integration with Oqton and 3Shape Dental System helps automated job preparation and digital modeling, enabling dental labs to implement totally digital workflows.
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Featured photograph exhibits the affected person’s smile full masking of the tetracycline staining whereas preserving pure tooth construction. Picture by way of Ultrathineer.
