Clinical use information of 3D printing in orthodontics isn’t the same across all applications. This review aims to reflect on the current strengths and weaknesses to develop 3D printing as a sustainable and effective tool in orthodontics
Peer-Reviewed Publicationimage:
3D printing allows for a wide variety of uses in orthodontics, with the ability to be customized on a per-patient basis
view moreCredit: Fulan Wei, Shandong University
3D printing has enjoyed success across fields, from creative endeavors to medical applications. In orthodontics, 3D printing is emerging as a means to customize care and deliver flexibility in manufacturing along with streamlining the process itself. As with any newly applied technology, there is still a process to be worked out to employ 3D printing as a viable option in orthodontics. Researcher Fulan Wei from Shandong University reviews the uses, practicality, challenges and future direction of 3D printing in a clinical setting for orthodontics.
Dr. Fulan Wei published their review in Oral Science and Homeostatic Medicine on September 15, 2026.
The most established trials on 3D printed orthodontics appear to be for applications such as printed orthodontic models and indirect bonding trays. Indirect bonding trays start with a mold taken of a patient’s teeth, in which the orthodontist individually places each bracket. Then, the custom-fit tray with the brackets already attached is placed all at once on the patient’s teeth. This approach can reduce chairside time and improve the consistency of bracket placement. The customizability, ease of use and benefit to the patient for this process makes 3D printing an attractive path for patients and doctors.
However, emerging applications such as customized brackets and direct-printed aligners remain less extensively studied, despite their potential advantages in appliance customization and manufacturing efficiency. Direct printed aligners remove the need for the intermediate step of model printing and heat-forming, thereby reducing steps in the manufacturing workflow and materials used and potentially wasted.
While the use of direct printed aligners applies more to mild cases of misalignment, there is not currently any evidence that they are better than current thermoformed aligners. Over time and in use, directly-printed aligners appear to lose their force exerted on the teeth, rendering them as potentially less effective with time and use, not to mention the questions regarding safety under oral conditions.
A major limitation is the lack of long-term clinical studies evaluating the performance of these appliances under real intraoral conditions. Biocompatibility, surface degradation and other safety complications that may arise due to the nature of the orthodontics are also important to study for the long-term.
“The long-term success of 3D-printed orthodontic applications will depend on more robust prospective clinical studies, better standardization of printing and post-processing protocols, and deeper understanding of biological safety, intraoral aging behavior, and material sustainability,” said Dr. Fulan Wei of Shandong University, corresponding author of the review.
The future of 3D printed orthodontics isn’t limited to three-dimensions; 4D printing, which essentially uses all the tech of 3D but with the added dimensionality of change-over-time, is a promising albeit abstract future path. In orthodontics, such materials could potentially enable adaptive aligners that change their shape or mechanical properties in response to external stimuli, allowing more dynamic control of orthodontic forces. However, these applications remain largely experimental.
Feng Qiu, Jingyi Yu, Mengfei Xu, Zhimeng Lei and Fulan Wei of the Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine at Shandong University, Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, and Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, and Menglong Hu of the Shandong Huge Dental Medical Group contributed to this research.
This research was supported by the Shandong Natural Science Foundation.
DOI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/OSHM.2026.9610071
Journal
Oral Science and Homeostatic Medicine
