With Graphy Inc.
for direct aligner printing
When Graphy Inc. presented its Tera Harz TC-85 at the annual congress of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) in Miami in May 2022, it caused a sensation in the orthodontic community. This innovative new material will in future offer the possibility of individually planning aligners on the computer and then printing them directly. This not only overcomes the existing limitations of aligners previously manufactured using the thermoforming process, but the print resin, which has been specially developed for orthodontic applications, also offers outstanding material properties that positively influence the spectrum and progress of aligner treatments as well as their results.
Individually optimally customisable aligners
Well-known software manufacturers have been working hard to develop programmes for patient-specific aligner design in order to exploit all the strengths of this revolutionary pressure resin. This will make it possible, for example, to deliberately influence the aligner thickness at individual teeth or in certain areas of the dental arch, whereby more or less force can be applied depending on the treatment task. In addition, aids such as splints or stabilisers for the occlusal position can then also be designed directly into the splint.
Aligners with a shape memory effect
However, the real special feature of the TC-85 direct-print aligners lies in the resin itself. The biocompatible photopolymer, which is already CE and KFDA certified and has FDA approval, offers a shape memory. This so-called shape memory effect allows the aligners to remember their original (printed) shape, i.e. the aligner returns to this shape at oral temperature. This effect has a positive impact on the forces applied and their control, on the rigidity of the aligner and on the patient’s comfort. This not only ensures that they fit the teeth better, but also allows the application of constant low forces, making treatments gentle and effective.
Pioneering partnerships
FORESTADENT’s strategic partnership with Graphy Inc., which involves the global distribution of Tera Harz TC-85, and the recently agreed partnership with UNIZ Technology, which includes the distribution of compatible 3D printers, have created the best conditions for the clinical use of a state-of-the-art digital aligner therapy.
About Graphy
Graphy Inc., based in Seoul (South Korea), offers a broad portfolio of printing materials for the dental sector. The company has developed the world’s first material for printing prosthetic restorations such as crowns and bridges, which is complemented by a suitable material for denture saddles. In addition to resins for printing dental models, materials for drilling and surgical templates and a special resin for the digital production of prosthesis casting models are also offered. The medical products in this area have the appropriate approvals in Korea, the EU and (in part) also in the USA.
