DRIPS and Yamato Transport collaborate on 3D printed aligner service

DRIPS and Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., the company behind clear aligner service Hanaravi, launched a new 3D printing production and delivery service for orthodontic aligners. The 3D printers are located at the Yamato Transport Group’s transportation bases.

Hanaravi provides a digital portal for the collection and processing of 3D digital intraoral scans, and where dentists can access and chat with a team of clear aligner specialists regarding their orthodontic treatment plans via the “LINE” messaging system.

Depending on the complexity of each case, the fee starts from 330,000 yen (USD 2500) for mild orthodontics. The treatment period is between five to seven months. A subscription-based plan is also available.

The aligner is changed every 1 to 2 weeks, with a typical case requiring between 20 to 30 different aligners to complete the treatment.

According to Hanaravi, producing the aligners in Japan using a 3D printer helps to reduce problems experienced with offshore production of the transparent orthodontic braces.

Common problems on both the service provider side and the patient side, the company claims, includes case where the mouthpiece had to be discarded due to a change in the treatment plan or where the treatment had to be postponed or cancelled due to overseas transportation delays. Producing the aligner using advanced 3D printing technology is also a massive time saver, according to Hanaravi.

Since 2017, Yamato Transport has brought the 3D printing concept to the medical field, manufacturing and delivering modeling jigs for artificial joint surgery and prototypes.

Besides boasting a strong track record in the healthcare sector, the company claims to have developed an innovation that automatically corrects the data for tooth mould modeling to work in sync with a 3D printer.

They also claim to be the first in Japan to offer on-demand customized clear aligner production via an automated 3D printing process.

DRIPS is set to increase the number of dental clinic affiliated with Hanaravi. The expanded network would allow the new venture to accept a higher volume of cases, using its OEM manufacturing bases. Meanwhile, Yamato Transport also plans to increase the number of 3D printers at its major bases nationwide, in a bid to bring their services closer to patients.