Skip to content
Submit a Ticket
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How are SLM titanium partials made, and how does SLM compare to casting and milling?

ROE manufactures titanium partials through a fully digital workflow:

  1. The case is scanned or a digital impression is received (lab scanner or intraoral scan).
  2. The framework is designed in specialized CAD software.
  3. The framework is produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM), in which a high-power laser melts titanium powder layer by layer (about 40-micron layers) according to the digital design.
  4. The framework is finished and polished.
  5. Denture teeth are set and processed to the framework.

SLM's advantage over older methods comes down to the metal's crystal structure. Traditional casting melts metal from solid to liquid and back, producing a disorganized crystal structure that contributes to porosity and fracture risk. SLM builds an organized, controlled crystal structure, which delivers superior physical properties and dramatically lowers fracture risk. ROE has studied this with McGill University using electron microscopy, confirming that the controlled crystal formation during laser melting produces superior properties versus cast metal.

Aspect SLM (titanium) Traditional casting Milling
Crystal structure Organized, controlled by layer-wise laser melting Disorganized (melt → re-solidify) Organized, but limited by subtractive process
Defects Minimal; avoids oxidation, bubbles, contamination Risk of porosity, oxidation, contamination Low
Material waste Low (additive) Moderate High (subtractive scrap)
Precision ~40-micron layers; exact CAD replication Variable High, but limited complex geometry
Turnaround ~3 days to a fully polished framework Variable Historically slow and costly for titanium
Repeatability Exact replication from the digital file Variable Exact from digital file

While milled titanium frameworks have existed for years and are comfortable, they remained commercially impractical due to cost. Applying SLM to titanium powder is what made this premium material accessible at a reasonable price.

 

Additional Resources

For more information concerning the digital dentures:

 

Contact Information

For help with a digital denture solution for your next case, contact ROE Dental Laboratory: