The first iPod had a physical click wheel and a tiny, unlit, grayscale screen, but it seemed like the future. In the moment, we all knew music would never be the same.
That’s sort of how I feel now with VarseoSmile Crown Plus by Bego. VarseoSmile Crown Plus is a ceramic-filled hybrid material for 3D printing permanent restorations. That’s right—3D printing isn’t just for models or night guards or surgical guides anymore. Now, we can 3D print restorations with VarseoSmile Crown Plus: inlays, onlays, crowns, and veneers (both anterior and posterior). This seems like the future! No longer are we forced to mill permanent restorations. We have a whole new workflow we can use to treat our patients.
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Once we prep and scan a tooth, we need a design. You can either design this yourself in software such as Exocad or 3Shape, or use a digital lab or design service. Either way, once you have your design, you’re ready to roll—load your design into your 3D printer software and print. For me, that’s RayWare by SprintRay.
We normally think about things like models printing in 40 minutes or more. Models are big and use lots of resin. Restorations are small, meaning the print time is just a few minutes! After printing, the restorations need to be cleaned with an ultrasonic bath in 96% ethanol. A chalky white layer will appear on the outside of the restoration, which should be removed by air abrading with 50 μm glass beads. Once this is done, post curing should be done according to the specs of your post curing unit. I use a SprintRay ProCure, which calls for two 20-minute cycles (although this can be lower for newer units). This makes the total production time for a restoration between 45 minutes and an hour. That isn’t bad for not having a mill!
Right now, when I decide to use VarseoSmile Crown Plus, I am putting the patient in a provisional and having them return in a day or two for their final restoration. That gives me a little more flexibility in time should I have a failed print or an issue getting a design back as quickly as I would like. I think as design services become more abundant and we get more confident at printing and post curing times get faster, same-day dentistry is possible for 3D printed restorations.
VarseoSmile Crown Plus comes in shades A1, A2, A3, B1, B3, C2, and D3. It can be cemented in with any resin cement such as RelyX Universal, Variolink Esthetic, or Panavia V5.
I definitely think we are looking at the first step of the future of indirect restorations. I have done a few units with VarseoSmile Crown Plus already and I can’t wait to do more!
Editor's note: This article appeared in the July 2022 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
