Making it Work

Irish firm develops ‘revolutionary’ 3D printing for dentures

Dentaltech, whose technology helps patients avoid uncomfortable fittings for false teeth, aims to grow out its B2B operations globally

Bevin Mahon, head of Dentaltech: ‘Tooth loss is far more common than people think. We’re taking selfies from a different angle or we’re smiling with our lips closed to hide it.’ Picture: Coalesce

Dentaltech, the Irish denture manufacturer, is targeting expansion in Britain and the United States after developing 3D printing technology it claims could be “revolutionary” in the field of oral care.

The Enterprise Ireland-backed firm was founded nearly 50 years ago by husband and wife Brian and Mary Mahon, and is now led by Bevin, their daughter, who is in the process of buying out her retired parents.

The firm operates dental clinics in Dublin, Wexford and Waterford, manufacturing its dentures in-house. It currently employs 35 people, and expects to have 50 staff by 2023.

Dentaltech sells its technology to dental practices and laboratories, as well as operating a full portable service to nursing homes and selling directly to customers who need its services.

The business has just unveiled new 3D dental prosthetics technology which can significantly speed up the manufacturing process, and eliminate the need for uncomfortable “impression trays”.

The technology, dubbed Truefit, scans a patient’s mouth using a computer-connected implement that creates an accurate and instant image. The company then produces the dentures using 3D printing technology and, in a first for the industry, offers spare dentures for those who may need them.

“Tooth loss is far more common than people think,” Bevin Mahon told the Business Post, citing medical research showing that 33 per cent of adults over 35 are missing one or more teeth. “We’re taking selfies from a different angle or we’re smiling with our lips closed to hide it.”

Dentaltech believes its 3D printing technology can make life easier for those affected by missing teeth in several ways.

“Because our solution is digitally designed, we can 3D print a denture at the click of a button, whereas before, every time you wanted to make one you’d have to go through all of the stages,” Mahon said.

“As well as that, we can actually create spares. For those in nursing homes, or people visiting the hospital who have to take out their dentures, they have an extra one and don’t have to go back to us for new ones.”

Dentaltech was now attempting to grow out its B2B operations globally, Mahon said. “Anyone around the world who has an intra-oral scanner – a scanner for scanning the mouth – can now access our 3D printing. So we want to scale by marrying our team’s technical ability with the hardware of dentists everywhere.”

But the company’s ultimate aim is to grow its own footprint by opening up its own clinics around the world where it can manufacture and supply dentures to those who need them.

“We want to provide the access ourselves, with clinics in Britain first and then in the US,” Mahon said. “In five years’ time, we want multiple locations in the US and UK. We’ll be in nursing homes too, and partnering with dental practices to deliver our solution to their clients.”

This Making it Work article is produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland