Digital workflows and 3D printing technologies have been transforming our pediatric and orthodontic dental care at Smiles. These tools have not only allowed us to create dental solutions for children and teenagers, but have also enhanced how we communicate, visualize, treatment plan, and deliver care itself.
For the last several years, I have been exploring how to thoughtfully adapt leading-edge technologies, many of which has significantly reshaped adult dentistry, into solutions that are translatable to growing mouths and ever-evolving dentitions. My driving force has been a deep belief that children deserve the same level of innovative and personalized care that we expect for ourselves as adults.
The Pediatric Dental Experience: Why Digital Care Matters for Kids
The dental experience truly lies at the heart of pediatric dentistry. When we care for children, we are actively shaping their perspectives and ultimately influencing their lifelong beliefs about dental care.
Throughout my career in pediatric dentistry, I have continuously reflected on how we can create experiences that feel more comfortable, more compassionate, and more joyfully memorable for children and families. Technology has increasingly become a valuable tool in helping us move toward that goal.
Digital workflows now allow us to visualize more clearly, reduce chair time in many situations, improve communication with families, and create increasingly customized solutions for growing smiles. For children especially, these advancements can transform not only the treatment itself, but also the emotional experience surrounding it.
What Does the Word “Workflow” Mean?
A workflow is a step-by-step, repeatable process designed to create consistent and favorable outcomes. In many ways, it is similar to following a recipe when cooking or baking.
Dentistry itself is highly systematic in nature and depends on carefully organized clinical processes that dental teams train on and follow closely each day to help ensure safety, precision, and quality care.
Digital workflows are the sequence of steps used to create a digitally designed dental solution using a CAD/CAM approach. CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design, while CAM stands for Computer-Aided Manufacturing. Together, these systems allow clinicians to digitally design and then physically manufacture restorations through either milling or 3D printing technologies.
The Digital Lab
Because we manage the CAD/CAM process from A to Z at Smiles, we are able to create highly customized dental solutions in-house within our digital lab.
Our manufacturing process is designed to be clean, organized, and OSHA-driven. Using digital data captured through intraoral scanners means that the entire design process occurs virtually. Fabrication follows a similarly controlled workflow, with restorations being printed, washed, post-processed, and carefully evaluated before anything is ever tried in or delivered clinically to a child or teenager.
What Can Be Printed?
The possibilities within dental 3D printing are vast and continue to expand rapidly. Today, digital workflows can be used to fabricate dental models, retainers, night guards, sports guards, and various forms of crowns and veneers.
At Smiles, I have also been carefully exploring and validating several pediatric innovations of my own, including:
- PrintiSmile™ — a growth-friendly esthetic smile solution designed for toddlers and young children
- Smile Keeper™ — an esthetic space maintainer concept
- Smile Forward™ — a fully customized orthodontic protraction headgear workflow
Each of these concepts has been developed with the same guiding philosophy in mind: creating more comfortable, thoughtful, minimally invasive, and emotionally supportive experiences for growing children and teenagers.
Keeping Dentistry Fun
One of the main reasons we keep our printers visible within our bay area is because they are wonderful conversation starters and give us the opportunity to share what we do at Smiles with children and families. Kids are completely fascinated by the 3D printing process, and we absolutely love explaining it to them!
We also enjoy printing custom toys and prizes for our visitors (special requests can even be placed in advance 😊). What better way to engage children in modern pediatric dentistry than by allowing them to see innovation come to life right before their eyes?
Schedule your child’s first dental visit today! Contact us here.
