Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

How 3D-Printed Teeth and Other New Tech are Transforming Dental Care

Image of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaden Murry had nearly all of his lower jaw removed because of a tumor. The procedure was the DOD’s first ever immediate jaw reconstruction surgery using 3D-printed teeth. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaden Murry had nearly all of his lower jaw removed because of a tumor. The procedure was the DOD’s first ever immediate jaw reconstruction surgery using 3D-printed teeth. (Photo: Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacob L. Greenberg, NMCSD)

Dentistry and the tools to improve the dental field have come a long way from the days of George Washington, when he endured painful metal dentures made with horse and cow teeth.

Thanks to technology, the evolution of dentistry is improving patient care. One key milestone for the Department of Defense came in November 2020 when doctors conducted the first jaw reconstruction surgery using 3D-printed teeth.

Some major advances in dentistry include advances in imaging technology, such as 3D imaging, computer aided design and 3D printing, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Daniel Hammer, a maxillofacial surgical oncologist and reconstructive surgeon at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD). Hammer took part in the first surgery implanting the 3D-printed teeth.

"We are able to obtain 3D imaging of the facial skeleton with increased accuracy and decreased radiation dose," Hammer said.

They can use 3D images to plan reconstruction of the patient's face with unprecedented accuracy, he added.

"These [digital] impressions are more accurate and do not require additional laboratory work," said Hammer. "If a physical model is needed, we're able to print the scan on our 3D printers."

By leveraging computer-aided design, he said, doctors can now print or mill the final teeth or surgical guides at NMCSD.

These types of advances in dental technologies have improved patient outcomes as well as treatment options and clinical scheduling, said Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Mike Andersen, a maxillofacial prosthodontist at NMCSD.

Doctors are now able to do far more in a single surgical procedure. "We're able to combine numerous surgical procedures that were once split up over years of treatment," he said.

As a bonus, the advances make patients more willing to get treatment when needed, Andersen said.

He admits he's still in awe of being able to immediately see the patient's teeth on the machine in real time.

"The ability to immediately transfer that data to our imaging software to discuss and plan cases with our team is unbelievably more accurate, consistent, and predictable than traditional methods," he added.

High-tech tools and technologies have allowed dentistry to advance further than ever before to improve patient care.
High-tech tools and technologies have allowed dentistry to advance further than ever before to improve patient care. (Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacob L. Greenberg)

The imaging data can be used to create essential tools such as orthodontic retainers, night guards, milled or printed prototype teeth, or even final restorations, he said.

These technologies also help better explain procedures and treatment options to patients, said Hammer.

"With 3D planning and printing, I can better articulate to our patients what we plan to complete and achieve for each procedure," he said. "They're empowered to ask questions and have an easier time understanding the complexity of these procedures because they're holding models and seeing images of their own procedure completed in a virtual world."

The more the patient understands before the procedure, the better their post-operative experience is, he said.

The Psychological Impact

"The preservation or rehabilitation of a patient's [teeth condition] is critical to their overall health," said Hammer. "That includes their mental health."

He explained, for example, that when he discusses the removal of a jaw tumor with his patients, most of them are very concerned about the possible removal of their teeth.

Andersen added there's a "tremendous psychosocial component to dental and oral health."

"A significant proportion of patients with maxillofacial injuries suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders," he said.

He explained that many patients struggle daily with essential life functions such as swallowing, speaking, and chewing, but also with self-esteem and body image."

"Whether our patients have cancer, trauma, or benign tumors, our goal is for patients to awaken from surgery with not only the pathology removed and a new craniofacial reconstruction, but to also have a full complement of implant-retained prosthetic teeth for immediate improvement of speech, swallowing, function, and overall quality of life."

You also may be interested in...

Policy
Sep 11, 2015

Instruction: #DODI 6490.13, Comprehensive Policy on Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Neurocognitive Assessments by the Military Services

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes standard elements, pursuant to section 722 of Public Law 111-383, requiring the implementation of a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment policy in the military services.

  • Identification #: DODI 6490.13
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Oct 31, 2014

Memorandum: Pre-Deployment, Deployment, and Post-Deployment Training, Screening, and Monitoring Guidance for Department of Defense Personnel Deployed to Ebola Outbreak Areas

.PDF | 8.96 MB

Department of Defense personnel (Service members and civilian employees)deployed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined Ebola outbreak areas will complete pre and post-deployment screening and training requirements outlined in this memorandum and supplemented by United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) guidance.

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
Oct 20, 2014

Memorandum: #13-006, Addendum to Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices Prostheses 13-006

.PDF | 94.68 KB

This memorandum clarifies procedures relating to Health Affairs' "Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices/Prosthesis," dated August 15, 2013, which remains in effect.

  • Identification #: 13-006
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
Apr 28, 2014

Instruction: #DODI 1010.10, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

This instruction reissues DOD Directive 1010.10 (Reference (a)) as a DOD instruction (DoDI) in accordance with the authority in DODD 5124.02 (Reference (b)) to establish policy and assign responsibilities for health promotion and disease prevention in accordance with References (c) through (f).

  • Identification #: DODI 1010.10
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Sep 18, 2012

Instruction: #DODI 6490.11, DOD Policy Guidance for Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion in the Deployed Setting

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures on the management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, in the deployed setting.

  • Identification #: DODI 6490.11
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Apr 20, 2012

Memorandum: Guideline for Tuberculosis Screening and Testing

.PDF | 119.55 KB

Because accessions come from widely diverse geographic backgrounds, the Services should determine the need for tuberculin skin tests for accessions while Service members are at the training base, based on the needs of the specific accessions environment and operational mission requirements. DOD will implement targeted testing rather than universal ...

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
May 11, 2011

Instruction: DCoE Clinical Recommendations Post Injury NCAT

.PDF | 252.30 KB

In accordance with Section 1673 of the NDAA HR 4986, signed into law in January of 2008, the Secretary of Defense was instructed to establish a protocol for the pre-deployment assessment and documentation of the cognitive functioning of Service Members deployed outside the United States. In advance of definitive evidence of superiority for any single ...

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Instruction
Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery