October 28-30, 2022 бд COEX, Seoul, Korea

Special lecture IV

3D Printing of Polymeric and Metallic Orthodontic Appliances: Where's the Evidence

Theodore Eliades

Theodore Eliades is Professor and Director of the Orthodontic and Paediatric Dentistry clinics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland; prior to this appointment he was Associate Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

He qualified in Dentistry from the University of Athens, received orthodontic specialty training at the Ohio State University, and obtained graduate degrees from Ohio State (MS), Athens (Dr Med Sci), and Manchester (PhD) Universities. He has published 125 articles and 20 book chapters and co-edited 5 textbooks. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (UK), and is a member of the Institute of Physics (UK).

Professor Eliades is the founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief (with Prof. C. Bourauel) of the Journal of Dental Biomechanics, Associate Editor of the European Journal of Orthodontics and the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Editorial Board member in 5 periodicals and reviewer in 35 journals. He is affiliated with US (Houston, Marquette) and European (Manchester, Bonn) Universities.

Lecture Description

3D printing of a variety of apparatuses and appliances with the use of a wide array of printing modes and materials extending from polymers, to ceramic and metal/alloys. Whilst the application of 3D printing has become almost an integral part of orthodontic routine in many parts of the world, there is a notable lack of the performance of 3D printed appliances, their ageing pattern, release of compounds in the oral cavity, biological reactivity as well as fundamental mechanical and physical properties. This lecture reviews the scare evidence on the topic and highlights also various issues arising from the lack of regulatory monitoring of the process of fabricating appliances in the environment of a private orthodontic office, quality control issues as well as precautions, and required safety measures.