Many dental offices design something on a computer, then ship the file to an outside lab and wait days or weeks for it to come back. We keep that whole step in-house. Our Formlabs 3D printer lets us produce many of the things you'd normally wait for, such as nightguards, retainers, surgical guides, study models and temporary crowns and veneers, right here in Kentfield, often while you're still in the chair. That means fewer trips back through Marin traffic, a fit we control start to finish, and care that simply moves faster.
What in-house 3D printing actually is
Dental 3D printing builds a physical object one ultra-thin layer at a time, using liquid resin that's cured by light into a precise, solid shape. It starts with a digital scan of your mouth, with no goopy impression trays, which becomes a 3D model on screen. From there, your dentist designs exactly what you need and sends it to the printer a few feet away.
The printer handles a surprising range of everyday dental work. Nightguards and retainers are printed to the exact contours of your teeth. Surgical guides, the custom templates that help place implants in precisely the right spot, are printed for your specific case. We also print accurate study models for planning, plus temporary crowns and veneers to wear while a final restoration is being made. Because every piece is built from your own digital scan, the fit is tailored to you rather than approximated.
In-house printing vs. sending it to an outside lab
The big difference isn't the printer itself, it's where the work happens and who controls the result.
The traditional way
- The case file gets emailed or mailed to an off-site lab, then you wait days to weeks for it to come back.
- You often need a second or third appointment just to pick up or fit the finished piece.
- If the fit isn't quite right, the whole back-and-forth starts over, with another shipment and another wait.
- The office has limited control once the case leaves the building, so adjustments depend on the lab's schedule.
The Kentfield Dental way
- We design and print on-site, so many items can be ready the same day or within a day or two.
- Fewer return visits, since many patients can leave with the finished piece in hand.
- If something needs tweaking, we can adjust and reprint here, often before you've left.
- We control quality and fit from the first scan to the finished piece, with nothing lost in transit.
Why it matters for you
Often same-day, not next-month
Because we print in our own office, many items can be ready the same day or within a day or two, instead of waiting on a lab's turnaround and shipping.
Fewer trips to the office
When the piece is made on-site, you can often skip the extra pickup or fitting appointment, a real plus when you're driving in from around Marin.
A fit we control end to end
Every piece is built from your own digital scan, and we manage quality from design to finish. If an adjustment is needed, we can refine and reprint right here.
Comfortable, accurate, long-lasting results
Digital scanning replaces messy impression molds, and printing to your exact anatomy is designed to give precise, comfortable, durable retainers, guards and restorations.
Better-planned implants and surgery
Printed surgical guides help place implants close to where they were planned, which can make procedures more precise and predictable.
Smoother emergencies and repairs
Cracked a nightguard or need a temporary in a hurry? Keeping printing in-house means we can often turn things around quickly instead of restarting a lab order.
The equipment: Formlabs 3D printer.
Frequently asked questions
We print nightguards, retainers, surgical guides for implants, study models for planning, and temporary crowns and veneers. These are the items that traditionally get sent to an outside lab, so making them here is what speeds everything up.
Yes, a printed appliance is made from a precise digital scan of your own teeth, so it's designed to fit accurately and hold up well. The main difference many patients notice is how much faster they get it.
Often, yes. Many items can be designed and printed during your visit or within a day or two. Some cases need extra finishing steps, so we'll always give you a realistic timeline up front.
Usually it does. When we make the piece here instead of waiting on a lab and shipping, you can often skip the separate pickup or fitting visit, which saves you a second trip into the office.
No. Printing starts from a digital scan of your mouth, so there are no goopy impression trays. The scan becomes the 3D model we design and print from.
We can print a custom surgical guide for your specific case. The guide helps place the implant close to the planned position, which supports a more accurate, predictable result.