Carbon launches dual-cure FP3D resin for flexible partial dentures
Earlier this month, 3D printing company Carbon disclosed it was preparing to release a new technology solution that would dramatically improve post-processing workflows. While we will have to wait until Formnext 2025 to hear the full details on this new offering, the company has in the meantime released a new material for the dental market. The material, called FP3D, is a flexible resin developed specifically for the production of flexible removable partial dentures (FRPD). It is the first material for the dental market that is based on Carbon’s dual-cure chemistry.
Carbon’s dual-cure chemistry combines UV-curable and thermally-curable chemistries in a single resin. In the DLS process, light activates the UV-curable chemistry, which solidifies the part geometry, while a secondary thermal curing process activates the rest of the material chemistry, resulting in parts with “an interpenetrating polymer network” that has greater durability and superior mechanical properties. For this reason, the company’s dual-cure resins have taken off in high-performance applications, including protective sports gear, bicycle saddles and footwear midsoles. Up until now, however, the dental market has been limited to single-cure resins (which meet the requirements of many dental applications).
With the commercial release of FP3D, dental users can benefit from the dual-cure material’s enhanced properties, including high durability, translucency, dimensional accuracy and, of course, flexibility—with a flexural modulus of 800 MPa. Carbon has proven the material’s durability, successfully putting it through more than 20,000 fatigue test cycles, which translates to 3D printed flexible partial dentures with an over three-year lifespan. On top of that, the dental resin delivers on the aesthetic front and can unlock significant cost savings. Additionally, FD3D is biocompatible (ISO 10993) and meets the requirements and standards associated with removable partial dentures manufacturing set out by the FDA.
“FP3D sets a new standard for what digital dentures can achieve, and is already making an impact in dental labs,” said Terri Capriolo, Senior Vice President of Oral Health at Carbon. “Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—labs are particularly impressed by the material’s translucency, and the ease of integration with existing workflows. By introducing our dual-cure chemistry to dentistry, we’re helping labs to further streamline their operations, reduce costs and deliver the next generation of flexible partials.”
The material was developed by Carbon and dental product manufacturer Keystone Industries through a multi-year collaboration. The development project was heavily informed by feedback from dental labs and professionals and aimed to bring to market a suitable material for the production of flexible removable partial dentures, which offer a comfortable, non-invasive alternative to conventional dentures.
In addition to providing the necessary material properties for the FRPD application, FP3D also offers the benefits of a more agile workflow. As Daxton Grubb, President of US dental lab R-Dent, said of the new material: “FP3D works out from a financial perspective on labor, but also turnaround time. Flexibles have always been a big product of ours, but fabricating them is very labor-intensive, so being able to digitize that product has streamlined workflows considerably. The more we’re growing, the more we’re putting on these printers—when you’re talking about scaling, I don’t know how you could do it any other way.”
The dual-cure dental resin from Carbon is now commercially available in the United States and Canada and is currently seeking European regulatory approvals (Carbon expects to launch FP3D in Europe next year).
