Desktop Health receives FDA approval for SmileGuard 3D printing dental resin

Desktop Health, a healthcare business within Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE: DM) committed to developing 3D printing solutions for personalized medicine, today announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of SmileGuard resin, a breakthrough light-curable biocompatible material for the fabrication of strong and flexible bite splints and other orthodontic and dental appliances.

SmileGuard resin, which is now available for ordering and shipping, solves a challenge among 3D printed bite sprint solutions in the marketplace today. Among the available options, the strongest materials are often uncomfortable to patients, while softer materials are often not as durable.

In development for more than two years, SmileGuard resin, however, offers a superior blend of both strength and comfort, custom fit to a patient’s specific dental profile and needs. At the same time, it offers high impact resistance to teeth grinding, clenching, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and abrasions.

“Every year, dentists and orthodontists prescribe millions¹ of bite splints or night guards to prevent patients from clenching and grinding their teeth, which can cause pain, headaches, sleep disruption and also damage teeth,” said Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “Made with traditional techniques, these devices typically require several steps and visits – from the time to diagnose, make an impression and manufacture, to the custom-fitting to the patient. Now dentists and orthodontists have a fast, easy and reliable way to produce custom-made devices while the patient waits at the office. This is another milestone in dental innovation.”

The Digital Difference

Traditional analog methods to manufacture night guards require dental impressions that are sent to a lab to produce. At the lab, a splint is thermoformed on a model, which must be created, or it’s milled out of a puck and checked on a model for fit. Then, it must be polished and shipped to the dentist, with the complete turnaround time often averaging 2-3 weeks and requiring multiple patient visits.

With Desktop Health’s digital 3D printing workflow, SmileGuard resin can be used to manufacture night guards in as little as an hour and delivered to the patient the same-day. The patient is scanned in minutes during an office visit, where easy-to-use software enables the device to be designed and printed. Polishing takes just minutes to achieve a high shine.

3D printed bite splints and night guards are a fast growing segment in digital dentistry and one of the top 3 most common 3D printed dental applications. More than 45% of dental labs and clinicians are currently 3D printing bite splints and night guards.²

Desktop Health’s Growing Leadership in 3D Printed Dental Solutions

SmileGuard resin joins a growing portfolio of Desktop Health dental solutions for both dental labs and dental professionals, including:

• The Einstein 3D printer, designed specifically for dental professionals, delivers key features essential to superior 3D printing: accuracy, speed, and versatility. The Einstein’s NanoFit 385 technology delivers parts with stunning clarity, a perfect fit, and an impressive finish. Equipped with Hyperprint technology, which harnesses the power of heat and a closed-loop process, the Einstein prints up to 50 percent faster speed than its predecessor.
• Flexcera FDA-cleared materials for removable and restorative indications. Flexcera Base leverages proprietary long-chain chemistry to deliver one of the strongest dental resins on the market for the fabrication of 3D printed denture bases. Flexcera Smile Ultra+ provides the perfect blend of strength and flexibility coupled with a natural-looking, lifelike luster for a wide range of permanent and temporary dental restorations including, crowns, inlays, onlays, bridges, veneers, full and partial dentures.

Find out more about Desktop Health at health.desktopmetal.com.