Dental Innovation Award 2023

The Innovative Dentistry Foundation, in collaboration with the German Society of Conservative Dentistry (DGZ), has awarded the prestigious Dental Innovation Award 2023 to the collaborative project InnoPrintIve. This groundbreaking initiative is transforming dental care by introducing a novel 3D printing solution for composite restorations.


The InnoPrintIve Project

InnoPrintIve is a joint effort between:

  • The Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital, LMU Munich
  • The Faculty of Computer Science, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences
  • The School of Dentistry & Institute of Oral Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

This interdisciplinary team has developed a 3D printer capable of producing highly accurate composite restorations for the occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth. Their innovative solution addresses a significant challenge in modern dentistry: the time-consuming and costly process of creating custom restorations.


How It Works

The InnoPrintIve system allows dentists to:

  • Print artificial occlusal surfaces with precision, achieving deviations of less than 35 µm from the ideal shape.
  • Create restorations in just 15–20 minutes within a dental practice setting (with potential for further time reductions).
  • Use “open-source” and “open-hardware” technologies, significantly reducing costs compared to traditional laboratory methods.

The printer works by:

  • Applying composite materials layer by layer, each cured individually during the printing process.
  • Bonding the finished restorations directly to the teeth using advanced dental bonding techniques.

This approach not only improves efficiency but also makes high-quality restorations more accessible, particularly in resource-limited settings.


Current Status and Future Plans

While this innovative technology has been recognized with the Dental Innovation Award 2023, it is still under development. The researchers are actively seeking partners to refine and optimize the system for clinical use. Their goal is to bring this groundbreaking solution to dental practices worldwide.

For more details about the InnoPrintIve project or to explore collaboration opportunities feel free to contact us.


Stay tuned as we continue to push the boundaries of modern dentistry!