3D printing is revolutionizing removable partial dentures (RPDs) by enabling labs like GPS Digital RPD to scalably produce affordable, patient-specific devices that restore function and smiles.
Removable partial dentures (RPDs) can be a game changer for people with missing teeth, not only improving their smiles but also helping them to eat and speak. As a non-invasive solution they can also be cheaper than more permanent tooth implant devices, not to mention easier to install. 3D printing technologies have played a key role in the recent proliferation of these dental devices, enabling dental labs to produce patient-specific RPDs in a scalable, efficient way. One such lab is GPS Digital RPD, a Florida-based specialist in partial frameworks and flexible partial dentures.
GPS Digital RPD has established a digital workflow powered by 3D Systems‘ 3D printing solutions that has enabled it to bring production and delivery times from two weeks down to as little as four days for the removable partial dentures. This workflow begins with a 3D scan of the patient’s mouth, which is uploaded to the company’s portal and used as a basis for creating a CAD model. From there, a metal framework is printed on a DMP Flex 200 metal 3D printer. Currently, the dental lab has two metal 3D printers in operation, which it says enables the production of 130 metal frameworks a day.
“Our two DMP Flex 200 systems can keep up with that rate, whereas older machines could not,” said Josh Williams, General Manager of GPS Digital RPD. “We do ‘lights out’ production, so the team has a whole new set of frames to work on every morning. The output of the DMP Flex 200 is flawless every time. We can’t say enough good things about the machine, the software and the quality of parts produced.”
Simultaneously, the removable partial dentures are printed on the NextDent 300, a multi-material 3D printer officially launched by 3D Systems in summer 2025. The FDA-cleared platform is unique in that it can print monolithic dentures, with realistic teeth and gums printed as a single part. The system, which has a build volume of 295 x 211 x 50 mm, can print about 15 dentures at a time using a combination of different FDA-approved materials, including NextDent Jet Base LT, NextDent Jet Teeth White, NextDent Jet Teeth Yellow and Wax support material.
“The two unique materials and the NextDent 300 make incredibly realistic dentures,” added Williams. “This is way above and beyond the accuracy and output of manual processes, the material colors are nearly perfect, and we have zero delamination.”
Dental lab halves removable partial denture production with 3D Systems’ techWith the metal framework and partial dentures printed, all there is left to do is temporarily assemble the pieces using a piece of wax. The pieces are then sent to the client so that they can be tested in the patient’s mouth. “Once they are approved, they come back to us and we affix them permanently with acrylic and send them back out. It’s really that easy,” said Williams.
With the NextDent 300 in its 3D printing arsenal, the Florida dental lab is reaching new levels of productivity. Whereas it previously took about 15 working days to deliver the final RPDs, Williams says it can produce the first finished RPD to send to the client within nine days, but often less. “I could do it within four days, easily, but we always have to factor in Florida storms, power outages and such, so we have to set expectations,” he specified.
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