What began as a teaching project is now evolving into a minor revolution in dentistry.
Realistic Practice Teeth Instead of Donations from Dental Practices
Dental students need hundreds of practice teeth. Until now, students had to painstakingly collect them from dentists or oral surgeons—a process that was not only laborious but also raised hygiene and ethical concerns. Kilian Schoch, a seventh-semester student, is relieved that he no longer has to run these errands.
The 3D-printed teeth provide the solution: they are hygienically safe, always available, and offer the same conditions for all students. Furthermore, they can be reproduced in any quantity and quality—layer by layer.
As Realistic as Possible – With Simulated Enamel and Cavities
The unique aspect is that the teeth feel almost like the real thing when drilled. “A bit softer, of course, but still very realistic,” says Kilian Schoch. Tooth enamel, which is similar to bone, is considered the hardest substance in the human body. Glass particles are mixed into the printed replicas to approximate this hardness. This is no comparison to the commercial plastic teeth used in the past, which were also much more expensive.
Even the tongue is simulated in the 3D model, allowing students to learn how to properly estimate space in the mouth while drilling. The Würzburg researchers use different materials to replicate the structure of a real tooth: a hard outer layer for the enamel, a softer layer for the dentin, and a sensitive zone for the dental nerve. This allows students to feel precisely when they need to drill deeper or work more carefully—a realistic training experience for real-life situations later on.
Teaching, Research, and Practice in Harmony
As one of the few institutions, the University of Würzburg now develops and prints all models in-house and provides them to students free of charge. These prints cost only a fraction compared to commercially available models. The 3D printing is carried out at the Polyclinic for Dental Prosthetics of the University Hospital Würzburg.
Clinic Director Marc Schmitter explains: “We can use real imaging data from patients, and students practice on realistic models before working on patients themselves. This is a major advantage for the Würzburg location and a unique feature.” The 3D tooth combines all treatment steps: from caries removal to root canal treatment and crown preparation. The related research has received multiple awards—including the Albert Kölliker Teaching Award from the Faculty of Medicine.
From Learning Model to Real Dental Prosthetics
Meanwhile, 3D printing is no longer just a teaching tool but has already become part of dental practice. At the University of Würzburg, temporary and even some permanent crowns are fabricated via 3D printing—custom-fit, stable, and cost-effective. In a study involving 63 patients, 98 percent of the printed crowns held up without any issues for several months. Complete dentures can also be produced in no time. And if a model gets damaged? No problem—the printer simply produces a new one.
Fair Conditions for All Students
For students, the 3D-printed tooth means more realistic, intensive training—and equal opportunities for everyone. The printed tooth is fair: everyone works with the same prerequisites. At the same time, researchers save resources and avoid waste, as the material is reusable. The goal of Schmitter’s team is to further automate the printing process and develop materials that are even more similar to natural tooth tissue.
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