Anne Koelzer brings 3D printed dentures to rural Nebraska
Located in the heartland of Nebraska, 70 miles from a Starbucks and 3 hours from an airport, is AMK Dental Laboratory, a digital full service dental laboratory, owned and operated by me, Anne Koelzer. In 2014, I opened a small, one woman, full service dental laboratory in O’Neill NE. After running the lab for 4 years, I decided to take the leap and make the dental lab more valuable and more advanced by going digital. In 2018, I officially was a full service digital dental laboratory, with one milling machine, one software and one 3D printer. The main goal of going digital was to provide better quality and more precise restorations for the dentist and patient. I started out with milling zirconia crowns and milling dentures. The only time I would use my 3d printer was to print models or surgical guides.Â
As the years went by and with the constant evolution of dentistry, I began to fall in love with 3D printers and the precision they have, especially for dentures. I will admit, it was hard to pull the trigger with getting on board with 3D printed dentures, but all it took was finding the right printer and the right materials. That is when the lab invested in an Asiga Max UV. That purchase was the start of a ripple effect, and I learned that the printer is open to many different resins. I quickly realized that this printer is the most reliable piece of equipment I have in the lab. It is very compact, rarely has any failed prints and I have never had any technical issues to this day. Â
The Asiga Max printer opened a whole new avenue for printing. I began to research all the different materials that could be used in them and there are many! I print all my dentures in house and the fit and strength are outstanding, so that I don’t see myself ever going back to the conventional methods. With all the resins that can be used with the Asiga, I honestly only use 2 companies’ resins- Pro3dure Medical Printo Dent dental resins and Dentsply Sirona Lucitone Digital Print. Printo Dent has all the materials from model, to gingiva to custom trays to try ins to high impact denture base.  This resin line is one of my favorites because it is easily cleaned and the materials are super durable and the cost is very reasonable. The other resin line I like is the Luctione Digital Print resin. This material has one of the best printed denture bases on the market. It is high impact, precise and the cleaning and curing are so easy. Dentsply Sirona also has Lucitone Digital IPN for teeth.  This resin is so beautiful, that I use it on almost every case.Â
“Having an Asiga printer in the lab has been a game changer, from its seamless workflow to the precision of every print.”
Anne Koelzer, AMK Dental Lab
Being located in rural Nebraska, my main goal for all my dentists, is to bring the best quality of products to them and the patient. By using Asiga printers and my two main resin lines, Pro3dure Medical Printo Dent Dental and Dentsply Sirona Lucitone Digital Print, I am guaranteed the best quality products that are on the market today. Having an Asiga printer in the lab has been a game changer, from its seamless workflow to the precision of every print, it has definitely opened my eyes the need to utilize one or 2 more Asiga printers in the near future.
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