3Shape and Stratasys introduced a new automated 3D printing color workflow using 3Shape’s Dental System software and Stratasys J5 DentaJet 3D Printer.

Stratasys and 3Shape announced a new automated 3D printing color workflow using 3Shape’s Dental System software and the Stratasys J5 DentaJet 3D printer.

Using an intraoral scanner and 3Shape’s software, dental labs can capture the patient’s mouth’s color and geometric information. Stratasys’ 3D printer users can import the data and print highly accurate personalized full-color dental models.

“In dentistry, detailed attention to aesthetics is critical, but accurately matching tooth color, in particular, is tricky and time-consuming,” said Rune Fisker, 3Shape senior vice president for product strategy. “For the first time, we’re automating that entire workflow for customers using 3Shape and the J5 DentaJet printer. Dental labs will be able to easily harness the full capabilities of the only dental printer able to create highly realistic replicas of the patient’s mouth from a TRIOS scan.”

The J5 DentaJet 3D printer enables dental professionals to scale production by printing large mixed batches of dental parts – including implant models, surgical guides, and gingiva masks – simultaneously on the same tray.

PolyJet technology ensures geometric accuracy and precision for these printed dental applications and has full-color printing capabilities, including realistic monolithic full-color dental parts.

3Shape Dental System delivers an improved workflow and seamless connection between dental practices and dental labs. The unique new digital workflow offered through 3Shape enables users to leverage these combined capabilities fully. The latest software version, 2022.1, now includes support for the open 3MF file standard, capturing geometry and color information from the intraoral scans.

“The darker color of a tooth stump and the translucency of a crown make color matching with the rest of a patient’s teeth a real challenge,” said Ron Ellenbogen, Stratasys director of dental products. “Adding 3MF support into 3Shape Dental System lets our customer harness the color capabilities of Stratasys PolyJet 3D printers to easily match a restoration’s true color. This new turnkey color workflow is important in expanding the color applications available on the J5 DentaJet platform.”

3MF is an increasingly popular open-source file format published by the 3MF Consortium, of which Stratasys is a leading member. The format improves workflow because it includes all model information in one package, even down to voxel-level control of the interior and metadata of the model. Stratasys provides a PANTONE-Validated full-color, multi-material 3D printer that can take full advantage of the 3MF format’s capabilities.