Traditional fixed braces used for teeth straightening are less attractive and uncomfortable because of the use of wires or brackets (often made of metal). Additionally, fixed braces can only be removed by professionals, meaning they cannot be temporarily removed for important occasions or photographs.

With the ultra-customization allowed with 3D printing, dental laboratories developed new invisible realignment technique through the use of a system of clear, scalable, custom aligners made using digital modeling software and thermoformed directly from 3D printed orthodontic models.

With a daily wearing time of 22 hours and changed every three weeks, the aligners will gradually and smoothly straighten teeth, taking between 6 and 18 months to achieve perfect alignment. The production of aligners requires a perfect communication between the dental laboratory and the dentist and a perfect precision and quality of the dental model used for thermoforming aligner.

The use of 3D printing solutions is ensuring the repeatability of the whole process, accuracy, and quality, unbound to the specific technician expertise. A mass production approach is key for this market, since the requested lead time is usually short, and for the same patient up to 24 different models could be needed. Therefore, working with high productivity 3D printers are an important requirement to keep good levels of profitability and customer satisfaction.