Dr. August de Oliveira’s 3D Printer Tipping Point
Dr. August de Oliveira is a household name in digital dentistry. A veteran of CAD/CAM systems, Dr. de Oliveira has been interested in the potential of 3D printing as in-office manufacturing for quite some time, but wasn’t able to achieve the accuracy he needed with desktop FDM printers. So when printers like MoonRay came onto the scene, Dr. de Oliveira was an early adopter, pioneering many of the workflows and processes used in dental 3D printing today. Now, with SprintRay Pro, Dr. de Oliveira is printing more than ever. He’s using 3D printing to continue to bring down the delivery times of aligner cases, even lowering his fees to compete with DTC aligner companies.
In addition to improving his aligner workflow, Dr. de Olivera also uses his 3D printers for surgical guide production. Being able to perform same- and next-day guided surgery means that he can better serve his patients. Additionally, he’s saving big on lab bills – his total out-the-door cost for a surgical guide with 3D printing is over 90% less than using traditional methods.
With his many years of experience using all kinds of different 3D printers, Dr. de Olivera has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to making purchasing decisions. In this Practice Insight, he shares some of his top tips for choosing the right 3D printer for your practice.