Smiles are powerful. Smiles make a difference.
Our responsibility.
To design products that have a direct, positive and meaningful impact on humanity.
Recently we had the honour of putting this into practice for the communities of Rhode Island, USA. Asiga was approached by ClinicCare Dental to provide 3D printers in their efforts to serve the Rhode Island community through the Rhode Island Mission of Mercy, we didn’t hesitate. But for us, simply providing the machines wasn’t enough. We wanted to do more. Both Cory Lambertson and Bryce Hiller of Asiga worked previously as dental technicians and had the perfect skillset to help with the Mission of Mercy.
Over the course of 2 days, Asiga, ClinicCare Dental, 3Shape, Kulzer, and Incisive Dental Network alongside countless dedicated volunteers combined their efforts to achieve one goal: to provide much-needed dental care to a vulnerable community in Providence, Rhode Island. Treatments ranging from cleaning and x-rays, to extractions and partial dentures. Many of these patients had begun lining up for treatment at midnight with tents and sleeping bags the night before the clinic began to ensure that they would be able to be seen by a doctor.
“The breadth of humanity doesn’t have access to basic dental care.”
David Fleming, Clinic Care Dental
Our role at the Mission was to provide the equipment and to manufacture partial dentures for over 50 patients. Many of these patients were intraorally scanned using the Trios scanner from 3Shape, many had teeth extracted, then the scans were sent to ClinicCare’s remote design team. Once the designs were complete, they were sent to Asiga to be 3D printed and finished. Asiga provided two Ultra 3D printers and two Max 2 3D printers and the denture resin was provided by Kulzer.
“We change lives. We’ve given people hope.”
Libby Swan, Rhode Island Mission of Mercy
This opportunity served as a stark reminder that we are in the business of changing lives for the better. The products we engineer and manufacture are done so with the patient in the forefront of our minds.
One of the patients treated over the weekend was Jermaine.
Jermaine had been in a tragic car accident that left him without his 4 maxillary anterior teeth. For years, Jermaine felt self-conscious. He found himself becoming more reserved with those around him, even his children. He indicated that his two youngest children had never even seen him smile because he felt embarrassed for them to see him without his teeth. He even said he’s found it very difficult to gain employment due to his accident. At the Mission of Mercy, we 3D printed Jermaine a partial denture that would prove to have a profound impact on him. As soon as the partial was seated and he saw his new smile in the mirror, he immediately became emotional. Some may just see teeth, but for Jermaine he saw himself gaining back his confidence.
By the end of the weekend, 623 patients received care to the tune of 2,800 completed procedures. This totalled over $375,000 worth of life-changing dental care provided free of charge.
A big thank you to everyone involved!
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