How Italian Dental Technicians Use 3D Printing Materials to Redesign the Standards for Dental Model Fabrication

     2026.02.28                          NextShapes,Dental Model,3D Printing                ＜1 minute                                                                                   

For dental technicians, creating high-precision dental models is a highly challenging task. Whether for orthodontic treatment planning, prosthetic fabrication, or surgical guide validation, the precision of the model directly affects the success of the treatment. Traditional gypsum molding and casting processes not only involve complex steps but have long been troubled by issues like material shrinkage and loss of detail.

In the past, creating an accurate dental mold often relied on the technician's experience and manual skills. From silicone rubber impressions to casting with hard gypsum, every step could introduce errors. Moreover, the storage and transportation of gypsum models posed problems like fragility and taking up space. When large batches of teaching or archival models were needed, the efficiency and consistency of traditional methods were difficult to guarantee.

In recent years, the widespread adoption of LCD 3D printing technology has brought revolutionary changes to the dental field. From the custom production of surgical guides to the rapid prototyping of wax patterns for restorations, digital technologies are gradually replacing traditional manual methods. Now, with the emergence of high-performance dental-specific 3D resin, 3D printing is pushing dental model fabrication to new heights.

Breakthrough in High-Precision Dental Model Materials

Located in northern Italy, a specialized dental training center has been providing continuing education courses for dental technicians and oral surgeons since its establishment in 2005. The head of the center stated that one of the most challenging aspects of their training programs has always been preparing a sufficient number of standardized teaching dental models. Given that each patient's dental condition is unique, traditional methods struggled to mass-produce models that represented typical case features.

The center decided to adopt a digital solution, using NextShapes' LCD 3D printing technology with 405 nm wavelength-specific dental model resin, Dental Model, for creating teaching models. However, the team quickly realized that having a high-precision printer and 3D resin alone wasn't enough. When the 3D printed dental models were handed to students, what was missing was a true simulation of the bite relationship and the tactile feel of gum tissue. In fact, a hard 3D printed model placed on a desk still did not replicate the real-world experience of working in a patient's mouth. Therefore, the team decided to design a standardized teaching model printing plan, using the characteristics of Dental Model materials to mass-produce 3D printed dental models with different case features, while incorporating replaceable gum bases to allow students to practice in an environment closer to reality.

"3D printing technology allows us to train the next generation of dental technicians in ways we never could before. We firmly believe that digitalization is the future of this industry. Our vision is to establish a nationwide digital training network in Italy, so that students in different cities can use the same set of data to 3D print standardized models and conduct learning and hands-on practice at the same time."

— Technical Director of an Italian Dental Training Center

This standardized teaching model solution was unveiled at the International Dental Exhibition and demonstrated at a digital dentistry symposium during the event, receiving high praise from attending experts. Currently, the solution is being used in the center's monthly technical training courses. Compared to the traditional method of using gypsum-cast teaching models, the new solution not only significantly reduces material and labor costs but also dramatically reduces the waiting time caused by model damage, which would require re-3D printing.

Recently, the team shared this digital training solution with two other partner institutions in central Italy. In a specialized training session focused on orthodontic appliance design, they used NextShapes Dental Model 3D resin to 3D print 80 dental models with different types of malocclusions. Each student could practice bracket positioning and wire bending on a clear and detailed 3D printed model at their workstation, something that was nearly impossible with traditional gypsum models. 3D printing all 80 models took about 120 hours in total, with the most complex part being the initial 30+ hours spent on case data selection and 3D modeling to ensure each model accurately replicated real clinical case features.

"Since its inception, NextShapes has been dedicated to providing high-performance and reliable 3D printing materials for professional users. Seeing the Dental Model material being used with LCD 3D printing technology and deeply integrated into the dental training field in Italy makes us very proud. Its low shrinkage rate and excellent dimensional stability ensure that each 3D printed tooth's anatomical form is accurately reproduced, while the clarity of details allows key structures like gum edges and dental cusp gaps to be perfectly rendered. Being chosen by professional institutions that demand excellence further confirms that expanding our product line and providing higher-performance materials for dental digitalization is the right direction for us."

— Giovanni Bianchi, Technical Sales Manager, NextShapes Italy

Opening a New Chapter in Dental Digital Printing

The dental training center is now also using NextShapes Dental Model materials in daily restorative design validation and pre-surgical planning for implant procedures. Whether it's single crowns, bridges, or full dentures, high-precision 3D printed models help dentists and technicians identify and correct potential issues before working on patients, effectively improving clinical success rates.

Would you like to learn more about the application possibilities of NextShapes Dental Model high-precision dental model materials? Feel free to contact our team or request a free sample to experience the material's detail performance and dimensional stability firsthand—see why professionals choose LCD 3D printing technology for their most demanding cases.