3D printed caries simulation training typodonts

Realistic and Reproducible

Education : Assessment : Research

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Dental education is facing some big challenges.

With students finding it difficult to gain the necessary clinical experience, emphasis is increasingly being placed on using high quality simulations  to ensure patient safety.

10k Teeth was developed by an experienced dental educator with extensive preclinical teaching experience at undergraduate level, for use by both dental and dental therapy students. The ability to undertake caries removal is a key operative skill bringing together not just manual dexterity, but also skills such as the application of basic sciences, knowledge of the histopathology of carious lesions, interpretation of radiographic investigations, and understanding of caries led tissue removal. Students can learn to drill a perfectly shaped class I cavity, but can they translate this to the real clinical environment and each individual patient?

Noticing a lack of high quality caries simulation teeth, 10k Teeth was developed to ‘bridge the gap’. The 3D printed typodonts contain a range of standardised, realistic and reproducible carious lesions. They are ideal to teach, assess and calibrate caries removal in undergraduate, foundation, PLVE and research training and are available in designs compatible with all common phantom head systems. As well as our design library, which is growing and developing all the time, custom designs are also available on request. Please contact us to discuss any bespoke requirements.

Our aim, simply, is to make dental education better, improve the student experience, and to help train safer dental professionals for the future.
We hope we can help you achieve this too.

Dr Jane Collingwood

BchD, PhD, SFHEA

Design Library

UR1

UR5

UL1

UL3

LL6

LR5

LR6

Back to Design Library

LR6 Distal and Occlusal Decay

All designs are available to be compatible with all commonly used phantom head systems. Bespoke designs on request.

Testimonial

We have found 10K Teeth to be the best option on the market for phantom head training when it comes to teaching and assessing caries removal. The simulated caries is very realistic and the standardised design really helped support students understanding of caries removal techniques. The teeth have been extremely useful in our patient case studies and the provision of matching radiographs complimented our cases. 10K Teeth advised on the designs best suited to our needs and also offered bespoke options for our programme. The feedback after using the teeth from staff and students was excellent, with many noting the detail of the EDJ and the realistic form and shape of the ‘carious’ lesion.  We hope to work with 10K Teeth in the future, looking at further bespoke designs for our programme and we most certainly will be ordering from them again.
Miss Clare McIlwaine DHDT MClinEd SFHEA FDTFEdProgramme Director, Dental Hygiene and Therapy, Kings College Hospital
We used the teeth at our staff training day and everyone was very impressed!
Senior Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry
I have now had a go with the tooth that I have with occlusal caries – I must say I was impressed! Whilst the “enamel” is obviously softer that real enamel, the caries could be removed with a slow round bur and an excavator and the colouring and handling of the caries was realistic.
Professor of Cariology and Conservative Dentistry
Many thanks for letting us have a few teeth to play with. We all agreed they are excellent and would really enhance our teaching.
Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow
In my opinion, this is definitely a breakthrough with much potential in relation to uplifting simulation and training in operative dentistry. 
Professor of Dental Education
I found the location of the caries in the 3D printed tooth very similar to a real tooth. The texture of the simulated caries and dentine was also quite similar to a real tooth.
Lecturer Preclinical Conservative Dentistry
The TPDs have noted that the appearance of the teeth has been very good, the caries shape and design effective.
Deputy Postgraduate Dental Dean
We thought the ability to follow the caries was excellent, with the appearance of staining in the dentine and EDJ realistic. It was easy to see when we had removed the caries and yet kept the cavity to a minimum. It is also easy for the students to see if they extend into non-carious dentine. The feel of caries removal with a low speed was good, and whilst drilling through the enamel feels soft, the reason for using these teeth is to follow caries which I could not fault.
Susan GrovesSenior Clinical Teacher School of Dentistry, UClan