A Leicestershire man has revealed how a revolutionary 3D printed denture solution helped him regain his confidence, comfort and ability to enjoy food again, all in just a matter of days.
Tim, from Coalville, had long struggled with NHS dentures that constantly broke, forcing him to glue them back together himself. But thanks to a digital approach involving Prime Dental Laboratory, Zenith Dental Clinic and SYS Systems, Tim received a life-changing set of 3D-printed TrueDent dentures, produced using the Stratasys J5 DentaJet.
“I had a lot of trouble with my original dentures,” said Tim. “They kept breaking and I was forever repairing them myself. When my daughter, who works in the industry, offered to help me get a proper set made, I jumped at the chance.”
Tim’s Denture Journey Starts with TrueDent and Digital Dentistry
Tim’s journey began at Zenith Dental Clinic, where Dr Karan Maini, Principal Dentist, assessed his situation and recommended an innovative solution. Tim had already been given a high-quality analogue set that had improved his eating habits, but what came next took his smile to a whole new level.
“Because he was so happy with the feel and look of those analogue dentures, we simply scanned them and copied them,” explained Dr Maini. “Two days later, he had a brand-new set of TrueDent dentures.”
Using the Stratasys J5 DentaJet 3D printer and TrueDent resin – supplied by UK Stratasys Platinum Partner SYS Systems – Prime Dental Laboratory digitally produced a new set of dentures with remarkable accuracy and speed.
“He just plonked them in and said they’re the most comfortable things he’d ever worn,” said Tim Jackson, Co-owner and Clinical Dental Technician at Prime Dental. “And he had a really good analogue set before that.”
The Benefits of 3D Printed Dentures: Fit, Comfort and Confidence
From the moment his new dentures were fitted, Tim noticed a dramatic difference. Designed and printed with complete precision, the 3D printed TrueDent dentures offered an unprecedented level of comfort and realism.
“It was like, wow,” said Tim. “They’ve been 3D printed and within two days I had them in my mouth. Straight away I knew there were going to be no sores and no rubbing.
“I could feel the difference, even rubbing my tongue across the back of my teeth. It feels like I’ve got teeth now rather than the smoothness of the other ones, where it just didn’t feel like real teeth, even though they worked like real teeth and they looked like real teeth from the front.
“I feel like I’ve got teeth again. I can eat anything, even apples, which I haven’t been able to do for 25 years. Now I can bite into one. It’s amazing.”
TrueDent vs Traditional Dentures: Why Digital Dentures Are the Future
The shift to digital workflows and monolithic 3D printed dentures is redefining how Prime Dental Laboratory delivers results for patients.
“This is how we’ve always done it – analogue. And it’s still the gold standard for many,” said Tim Jackson. “But the patient knows best. If the patient says to me that they’re better, what am I to say?
“It’s a real benefit of me being in the clinics and seeing these jobs fitted. Getting instant patient feedback when we’re fitting analogue dentures and then giving them a 3D printed set of dentures as a blind test. Every single time they’re saying the 3D printed dentures are the ones they prefer.
“It’s just a testament to the material really and it shows that we need to only produce what the patient wants us to produce. If they have a choice and they choose one thing over and over again then we need to follow that as a lab and in the clinics as well.”
Transforming Digital Dentistry with Stratasys J5 DentaJet and SYS Systems
Tim’s treatment was made possible by the Stratasys J5 DentaJet and TrueDent resin, both supplied by SYS Systems – the UK’s Platinum Partner for Stratasys.
This game-changing technology enables labs like Prime Dental to create custom 3D-printed dentures faster, more accurately and with fewer appointments, making life easier for both patients and clinicians.
Tim’s experience shows just how far digital dentistry has come and the life-changing potential of embracing innovation.
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