Digital Design of Laser-Sintered Metal-Printed Dento-Alveolar Anchorage Supporting Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

In interceptive treatments in which impacted teeth (incisor or first permanent molar) should be included into the dental arch, the main clinical problem is the provision of an anchorage area and a suitable appliance. The use of a laser-sintered metal orthodontic printed dento-alveolar anchorage (PDaA), designed and printed digitally, has expanded the boundaries of orthodontic treatment, especially in its interceptive phase. Our aim is to describe a laser-sintered metal appliance to provide anchorage during orthodontic surgical traction of impacted teeth in the mixed dentition period. The presented clinical cases were treated with digitally projected and printed metal PDaA. In the described clinical cases, individually designed anchorage systems were used. They were created through design software and, after that, the metal appliances were printed. The devices were placed in the oral area and did not disturb the aesthetics of the patient. The advantages of individual designed metal PDaA allow the accommodation of the morphology of the hard palate and alveolar bone. This makes the PDaA comfortable for the patient and rigid enough to perform orthodontic traction at the same time. The PDaA is applicable in mixed dentition and, in complicated clinical cases, in permanent dentition. Their individuality allows for segmental treatments or treatments in cases requiring additional anchorage further away from the active force.

Change in Dental Arch Parameters—Perimeter, Width and Length after Treatment with a Printed RME Appliance

“…They can open the file, discuss the appliance design, and work on it from different offices. The elements can be incorporated into appliance design and can be used after the expansion is achieved [11,[13][14][15].…”

“…In the present study, the RME is digitally assisted and printed on a 3D printer. This process provides the appliance with maximal accuracy and makes it maximally comfortable for the patients [13][14][15]. This gives the opportunity to make the device as individualized as possible and concerned with the specific needs of the patient.…”

“…This expansion results from a combination of skeletal [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] expansion and dental (orthodontic) inclination and displacement. The development of CAD/CAM technology allowed the fabrication of customized RME appliances that are very accurate, with dental or hybrid skeletal-dental attachment and action [11][12][13][14][15].…”