Dentaltown May 2022 - 38

and a propeller to splash (microjetting)
IPA on the surfaces of dental models, this
automated wash unit eliminates the need
for two stations (saving lab space), reduces
the consumption levels of IPA and simplifi es
the process.
Avoid discarding dirty IPA in the drain;
it should be discarded through professional
local or city chemical waste venues. Distilling
dirty IPA is appealing to reduce the consumption
of IPA, but I encourage avoiding
this step because of the potential biological
hazard associated with this process.
Cure box
The postprinting curing process is
a critical step to maintain safety while
3D-printing dental appliances, including
dental models of aligner fabrication.
The quality (magnitude and consistency)
of UV light during the postprinting curing
step determines the success of polymerizing
uncured resins. Use commercial 3D-printing
cureboxes that pass the quality control for
this step. Most DIY and nail LED cure
boxes generate inconsistent light and lack
the heating component found in most
dental cure boxes.
The next generation of dental cure
boxes, such as ProCure 2 by SprintRay
(Fig. 4), uses powerful concentrated UV
lights to reduce the curing time approximately
by 25x.
Fig. 4: ProCure 2 by SprintRay combines high-power LED technology with motion to signifi cantly reduce
the cure time.
Thermoforming plastics
Expansion of the clear aligner market
units. To clean the printed dental models,
do not remove the models from the build
plate; submerge the inverted build plate into
the IPA when the magnetic stirrer is on for
three to fi ve minutes. Repeat this process
at the clean station.
An automated wash unit works on
principles similar to a DIY magnetic stirrer.
SprintRay, Formlabs and Anycubic are
examples of manufacturers that offer a
spectrum of automated to semiautomated
solutions (Fig. 3, p. 36).
Formlab and Anycubic offer magnetic
stirrer units, but the main challenge with
38 MAY 2022 // dentaltown.com
both are their nondental-specifi c design.
One can remove the models from a build
plate (a messy process) and use the metal
basket to clean the models. In this approach,
the IPA container is often half or less full
with IPA. Alternatively, one can fi ll the
container of the wash to reach the models
when a build plate with attached models is
placed on top of the container. These two
approaches are protocols to work around
the design.
The SprintRay wash and dry unit was
specifi cally designed to clean and partially dry
dental appliances. With two IPA reservoirs
drove the introduction of numerous thermoplastic
fi lms to the dental community.
Limited studies on some of these fi lms have
made comparing them rather challenging.
Collectively, the thermoplastic fi lms
can be categorized based on their structure
(mono versus multiple layers); material,
such as co-polyester (PEG), polycarbonate
(PU) or a blend of various materials;
and thickness (0.5-1 mm). All of these
characteristics affect the handling of the
thermoforming during fabrication, patient
comfort and, most importantly, the levels
of force-inducing tooth movement. Table 1
(p. 36) goes into more detail.

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Dentaltown May 2022

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