Conventionally, if a patient needed a new jaw bone, doctors would have to put together a number of separate pieces into a single unit. However, with the development of 3D printing technology in the medical field, patients are able to benefit from solid, high-quality artificial transplants quickly and easily.
This was the experience of a Syrian soldier who had his jaw disfigured by a bullet. Dentists at Rambam’s Hospital in Haifa, Israel, were able to use an oral scanner to create a model of his tooth, gum, and jaw, then used a 3D printer to create a titanium jaw. This jaw was then surgically implanted, and the soldier was eating and speaking as normal again only one day after his operation was complete.
After the success of this procedure, Rambam’s Hospital plans to make regular use of the same technology. Three other patients are looking forward to similar implants in the coming weeks.
