3D printed braces cut orthodontia costs, but dentists say they’re not worth it

Motor City Lab Works partner Christian Groth describes the use of digital scans that are used to make molds of teeth to be used for retainers and aligners with digital printers on February 1, 2018, at the company in Birmingham, Mich. (Ryan Garza/Detroit Free Press/TNS)

For a glimpse of the future of orthodontics, consider a peek inside Motor City Lab Works, a Birmingham, Michigan, office filled with 3D printers and other equipment that create custom retainers and clear plastic aligners. 

In the laboratory, technicians use digital imaging and printers that spray resins to not just straighten people's teeth, but also potentially save patients thousands of dollars and the discomfort of metal braces.