---
title: "Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/australian-wildlife-carer-helping-injured-turtles-with-dental-resin-and-3d-printing/
date: 2026-03-02
modified: 2026-03-02
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "An electrician-by-trade who now dedicates the majority of his time to caring for local wildlife in Victoria, Australia, has been using dental resin combined with 3D scanning and printing to..."
categories:
  - "3D Printing Processes"
  - "Medical Models"
  - "Sustainability"
tags:
  - "insights"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle8_jpg-640x400.webp
word_count: 470
---

# Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing

An electrician-by-trade who now dedicates the majority of his time to caring for local wildlife in Victoria, Australia, has been using dental resin combined with [3D scanning and printing to repair the cracked shells of road-injured turtles](https://www.voxelmatters.com/injured-sea-turtle-swims-again-with-3d-printed-harness/).

Josh Neille works from his farm in Gippsland, where he 3D prints custom-fitted replacements for missing or severely damaged shell sections.

“I'm just a panel beater for turtles at the moment,” stated Neille, who has [1.5m followers on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/joshneille11) thanks to his benevolent pursuits in taking care of the local wild animal population. “The turtle comes in like your car does when you have an accident and gets a big dint in it, and then I'm the bloke that's doing that sort of stuff.

“So, you have to sand it all back and prime it up, get rid of all the contaminants, and then you're pretty much patching it up with bog.”

[![Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle3_jpg-640x400.webp)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle3_jpg.webp)

[![Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle7_jpg-640x400.webp)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle7_jpg.webp)

[![Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_ABCTurtle1_jpg-640x400.webp)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_ABCTurtle1_jpg.webp)

[![Australian wildlife carer helping injured turtles with dental resin and 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle4_jpg-640x400.webp)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4JSG4PF_Turtle4_jpg.webp)

## The procedure and recovery

Each turtle undergoes a multi-stage treatment process involving triage, infection control, antibiotic administration, and shell cleaning before repairs begin. Layers of primer, resin, and adhesive are applied to seal cracks and then cured under a UV light.

“Depending on the severity of the shell damage is how long we keep it [the turtle] in for,” Neille said. “If it's only got a minor crack, we might only have it in for three or four days.”

Neille's most recent patient, an eastern long-necked turtle, remained in his care for approximately three months after sustaining fractures severe enough to expose tissue and threaten vital organs. Neille stated the animal may not have survived without antibiotics, monitoring, and the resin repairs.

[For the shell sections beyond patching, 3D technology provided a more precise solution](https://www.voxelmatters.com/how-3d-printing-is-raising-awareness-on-turtle-conservation/).

“I can modify that shell and fill in holes,” Neille said. “And then in combination with the dental resins and the glues, we're using all these different methods and combining them to get the best outcome for that patient.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPHV338e48

## Collaboration and support network

The work is made possible in part through donated supplies from Yana Stevens, a local dentist, who provides spare dental materials to avoid waste.

“It felt good to help the animals; otherwise, they would die from infection because their nerve endings are exposed and all the blood vessels in the shells,” she said. “So, we had to write down step-by-step how to use the materials. I knew he [Neille] needed a UV light in order to set the material hard so it actually bonds to the structure. These filling materials stay in people's mouths for a good five years plus, so I'm really hoping it will last a long time for turtles too.”

Neille also utilizes his sizable social media following to receive reports and updates from followers about animals in need of medical attention and rescue.