3D Printing Occlusal Guards, Night Guards, and Splints

Data Capturing 

In order to print the dental model, the patient’s impression must first be captured digitally. This can be accomplished with intraoral impression scanners, desktop impression/model scanners, or via CBCT impression/model scanners. ​

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Scan Integrity Considerations

Intraoral scan should not have problematic areas that can lead to errors in the printed appliance or patient discomfort

Occlusion is unclear or scan has bubbles:

Scan has scraps:

Scan is coincident and contains distortion:

Scan is incomplete and missing data/sections:

Design and Treatment Planning

Out of Office Occlusal Guard Design

SprintRay Cloud Design helps and provides Occlusal Guard Design, where you can upload patient’s scan files and your prescription. Once you receive the STL file of the designed occlusal guard from SprintRay Cloud Design, printing can proceed

In-Office Designing Occlusal Guard Design

This is done in a Splint CAD software. SprintRay Software allows you to choose a splint software that best meets your clinical needs. Our software accepts any design file formatted in STL, which means you can use whichever software you are most comfortable with: 3Shape Splint Studio, Exocad, Magics, D3splint. Once the scans are imported to the design software:

As a general recommendation, we recommend the following design parameters for best success;

Minimum Thickness

• All resins: 0.800 - 1.000 mm

Tooth Coverage

•  All resins: 2/3

Tooth Offset

• SprintRay NightGuard Flex or KeySplint Soft: 0.120 mm
• SprintRay NightGuard Firm: 0.100 mm

Retention

• SprintRay NightGuard Flex or KeySplint Soft: 0.050 mm
• SprintRay NightGuard Firm: none

Follow the instructions for the SprintRay material and choose/provide proper settings in the software. Continue to complete the occlusal guard design. An embossed annotation on the model can help to keep track of your prints/patients.

Printing - Special Considerations

IFU for the occlusal guard resin in use should always be followed for best results.

RayWare Cloud

RayWare Cloud takes the effort out of preparing your files for print, by automatically nesting them in the most optimal position for printing. If using SprintRay Cloud Design Services, you can send your prepared print job directly from the Treatment page by using the Direct Print  feature.

If importing an STL file you have downloaded or designed in house, start by selecting the Occlusal Guard print job type. Then select your Printer type, ‘No’ for Auto Mesh Repair, Material type, and the Layer Thickness.

RayWare cloud will then analyze your file and place it in its optimal position with
balanced supports.

RayWare Desktop

As a general recommendation, it is best to angle the model on print platform so that the intaglio surface is facing up, and the occlusal plane makes an angulation of 20-30° to the print platform. The anterior part of the design should be closer to print platform than the posterior.

Post processing

Models should always be post processed per the recommendation in the resin Instructions For Use (IFU).

• For SprintRay NightGuard resins, Isopropyl Alcohol with a purity of 91% or higher is required for the washing process, per the FDA.
• If cleaning more than 2 or 3 models in the Pro Wash/Dry, longer wash and dry times may be necessary for best results.
• Always ensure models are completely clean before post curing in the Pro Cure units, and always select the correct profile for the resin being used.

Appliance Preparation for Patient Delivery

Support Removal

Smooth the Surgical Guide

At this step, we use a fine Scotch-Brite™/ Fuzzies™ polishing wheel to grind down the remaining knobs from the support-removal step and smooth out the surface of the appliance. The polishing wheels are used at a low speed (about 10,000 to 12,000 rpm).

The appliance is ready for try in and final adjustment.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Use dish soap and a soft toothbrush to clean the appliance before trying it in the patient's mouth

Soaking

Soak the appliance in a bowl of warm water for about 20-25 seconds. Make sure the water temperature does not exceed 50°C/122°F.

Try In and Adjustment

The last steps in this workflow are delivering the occlusal guard to the patient for fitment and final polishing. During this step, make sure the appliance is seated completely on the teeth with proper retention, and that it is completely polished before delivery to the patient.

Seat the printed occlusal guard on the patient's teeth and let them try out the appliance. Use an articulating paper to make any adjustments if needed for the proper contact between the occlusal guard and opposing teeth

Pre-Polish

Use a muslin polishing wheel and pumice with firm and consistent pressure to reach all the areas of the appliance. Make sure the wheel and pumice are wet enough, and the pumice is flowable. Once done, rinse the guard with water to remove pumice residue.

Polish

Start with a fresh muslin wheel and Tripoli polishing compound. Use firm and constant pressure, reaching all the areas of the appliance. Re-apply the Tripoli compound, but this time use light pressure. Once done, rinse the guard with water to remove Tripoli compound residue.

High-Shine

Use a fresh muslin wheel and Hatho™ Beige polishing compound, with firm and consistent pressure, reaching all the areas of the appliance. Make sure to achieve a uniform shine on the appliance. Once done, rinse the guard with water to remove high-shine compound residue

High-Gloss (Optional)

Use a cotton buff wheel and Hatho Pink polishing compound with consistent pressure, reaching all the areas of the appliance until you get a “mirror finish”.

Cleaning the Occlusal Guard

Use dish soap and a soft toothbrush to clean the appliance before trying it in patient’s mouth.

Packing

Pack the finished occlusal guard in a container that has the patient's name/file number, and then deliver it to the patient. Provide the patient with instructions on how to use and clean the occlusal guard.

Now your patients are ready to enjoy the benefits!