CATEGORY 110 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST LABS At Race Dental, the doors are always open, because there’s no better way to appreciate the speed and precision of their clear aligner production facility than to see it in action. Race Dental, established in 1936, is not a new name in the Australian Dental Industry. But thanks to a signi cant investment in infrastructure and technology, their Race Aligners production is now the most advanced and highest scale in the ANZ and South East Asian regions, attracting the interest of new doctors who value quality, locally made products, fast turnaround times and greater support for their patients and clinics. Brad, Anthony & Matt Race and the Race Dental team encourage tours of the facility to gain a better understanding of how crucial each step of the process is to produce their 100% Australian made Race Aligners and how they can be con dent of the accuracy and quality achieved. e complex manufacturing work ows central to Race Aligners production comprise four main components. e most e cient and scalable method to produce clear aligners is to print a model on which to thermoform, therefore making it critical to get this model right. If the model is not made to accurately follow the design for the speci c movement, then even the most carefully produced aligner will fail to achieve the required result. By choosing Carbon printers (considered the Gold Standard of the printing industry), Race avoids the built up, distinct layering often seen in traditional additive manufacturing, instead achieving a completely isotropic part. is, made possible by Carbon’s digital light synthesis, means the model is made of a continual build, so not impacted by created inaccuracies found in layering (which can result in an aligner not representative of the patient’s dentition). While thermoforming can be done on a very small scale on individual units, Race Dental has invested in a robust commercial machine: the Hamer TVP-25 which has been called the pinnacle of thermoforming, not just for clear aligners but in other It’s all about transparency packaging and commercial applications. is high-end, fully automated equipment is capable of very precise measurement in terms of vacuum, temperature, traceability and data control. is vacuum and pressure clear aligner thermoformer ensures parts are sent through at the correct time, temperature, pressure for optimal results. e Hamer’s integrated manufacturing execution software incorporates a vision camera to optically read the models as they go in, then pulls data from the system to identify the correct laser marking for automation, eliminating the risk of human error. e thermoformed part needs to be trimmed from the model. e tried and proven technique for this is to use digital dental trimmer mills. Using the latest, second-generation trimmer mills, Race is able to slow down the mill to get multiple, gentle cuts across the aligner, as opposed to a more aggressive pass that cuts through more quickly leaving marking and chipping that needs more attention post production. While the Gen 2 trimmer mills produce an extremely smooth result, observing best practice, Race also utilises automated polishing of all aligners to ensure there are no sharp edges or any nish that could cause a patient discomfort, understanding that discomfort leads to non-compliance and ine ective treatments. ese work ow components are important but no more so that the choice of material used in production. Race Dental uses Zendura FLX to achieve a rm but gentle tooth movement. Unlike some materials that start overly strong in the beginning then taper o (as the rigidity of the material gets lost towards the end of the wear period), Race Aligners made using Zendura FLX material apply continual force over the 7 – 14 day wear period as prescribed and are stain-resistant, maintaining their transparency over time. e key to this success is that Zendura FLX is a triple layer material. Between the harder outer shell and a harder inner shell is an elastomeric layer handling lateral and rotational forces. is means as the patient uses their aligner, pulls it out and snaps it back in, where less expensive, single layer materials would deform, the Zendura FLX elastomeric layer enables the aligner to rebound and keep working towards the desired movement. Race Dental can also assist with treatment compliance as all Race Aligners cases are provided with a Dental Monitoring ScanBox for patients to remotely submit scans to be monitored by the Race orthodontic support team, freeing up more chair time for doctors and improving patient experience with fast feedback and recommendation to visit their doctor only when required. u To arrange a tour of Race Dental and receive a free Race Aligners standard dual arch case, register for an upcoming Race Aligners event or request an information and marketing pack, contact marketingteam@ racedental.com.au To learn more about Race Dental’s fullservice lab, visit www.racedental.com.au or call 1300 722 352
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