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Author Topic: Has anyone ever used a Maker Bot 3d printer to 3d print thier own retainers?  (Read 2255 times)

Offline High Myopic

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Is that possible as long as you have your own impressions?  Can it use acrylic? 

Offline Braceme

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I don’t know about acrylic, but 3D printers have been recreationally used to make aligners

https://dereferer.me/?https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.popsugar.com/beauty/DIY-Invisalign-40606397/amp

Offline Kruz

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I own a 3D Printer. You first have to 3D scan your Impressions, and it has to be really accurrate.
Then theoretically you could design your Retainers.

BUT, i dont think it would be comfortable to wear, because the surface of your Prints arent smooth. I dont know if the smoothness of the surface of a normal retainer is recreateble with a 3D Printer.
The next problem are the wires. I can´t imagine a way to  integrate those, using a normal printer.

I guess its easier to create retainers at home using the normal way of doing it, than to Print it.

Offline PlainJane

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I've been using a vacuum former to form retainers that I then add brackets to. You can get the plastic blanks as thick as 3mm which make a good plate, but I'm going to try laminating two layers together with the wire ends trapped in between. Might work or might not, I'll know soon!
A dental vacuum former is only about £100 I think. More if you can't wait for it to arrive from China.