Application of the Month: SprintRay 3D Printed Teeth Restoration

Advanced digital workflows and additive manufacturing are transforming the field of restorative dentistry. In this feature, we highlight a full-mouth rehabilitation case managed by Dr. Guvinder Gakhal, where SprintRay 3D printed crown resin was used to restore a patient with severe generalized tooth wear. Leveraging structured workflows learned through Avant Garde’s education program, the case demonstrates how precision, efficiency, and minimally invasive techniques can deliver outstanding clinical and aesthetic outcomes.

Using 3D Printing to Help Restore Tooth Wear

A 56-year-old male electrician had extensive tooth wear resulting from chronic nocturnal bruxism, which is the habitual grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep. Although the patient was not experiencing any pain, the ongoing loss of tooth height placed him at high risk of pulp exposure, meaning the inner nerve and blood vessels of the tooth could become exposed. Early intervention was important to preserve his natural teeth, prevent more complex restorative challenges in the future, and maintain proper oral function.

From top left to bottom right, 3D printing was able to help mitigate the patients’ extensive tooth wear.

Dr. Gakhal took a patient-centered approach, discussing treatment goals that included protecting the remaining tooth structure, restoring the occlusal vertical dimension, which is the natural distance between the upper and lower jaws when the mouth is closed, and improving aesthetics while keeping the treatment as minimally invasive as possible. The patient’s case presented several challenges, including severely shortened clinical crowns (the visible parts of the teeth above the gum line) with near pulp exposure, alveolar compensation (a change in the position of the jawbone that occurs as teeth wear down and can affect the bite), asymmetrical gingival zeniths (uneven gum heights that affect the smile line), and buccally positioned canines (teeth angled outward toward the cheeks). Each of these required careful planning to achieve a natural and functional result.