Braces On Demand – Healthcare
What it is:
Braces on Demand offers an online platform for in-office printing of orthodontic appliances. The company partnered with Formlabs, a leading 3D printing company. The platform connects to a Formlabs Form 3B printer to make 3D printed, direct bonded orthodontic appliances. Devices can be configured from a library of bracket, buccal tube, and widget designs in any of over 8 million prescription options. No intraoral scans or thermoforming is required. Typical print time for 5 cases is around 2 hours, with an additional 10 minutes to wash and 30 minutes to cure.
The orthodontist will require some equipment to get started. They will need the Form 3B printer, FormWash, and FormCure (www. formlabs.com). They also need the correct shade of dental resin from FormLabs and glycerine to ensure proper curing.
If they do not want to invest in the equipment, orthodontists can also opt to use the platform to create products and have them printed by Braces on Demand and shipped to the office.
Who Made It?
The company was co-founded in 2019 by Colin Corey, Ammar Syed, and Dr. Tom Shannon and is based in Hicksville, New York. Corey noticed that at every orthodontic tradeshow, there was a lack of innovation in the manufacturing processes for orthodontic products. He and the co-founders launched Braces on Demand to leverage 3D printing and let orthodontists manufacture their own orthodontic appliances.
The company announced their partnership with Formlabs in October 2020. The partnership is part of Formlabs’ Dental Business Unit, which was created in late 2019 to expand the role of digital 3D technology in the dental industry.
Funding status:
The company raised $1.03M of seed funding from undisclosed investors on April 22, 2022.
Why we like it:
- Patent-pending technology
- Have additional products in the pipeline for release, including Class II and Class III correctors and Active and Passive Self Ligation
- Smart to partner with an existing and leading 3D printing company – we love to see entrepreneurs making the right partnership to bring their product to life rather than burning time and resources to build their own when it’s not necessary
Did you know?
On average, braces cost about $5,000 to $6,000 without insurance. But costs may rise and fall due to overall oral health, the type of braces needed, the length of the treatment plan, and where the patient lives.