NDCS develops digital workflow for removable partial dentures

The system integrates intra-oral scanning, automatic design, and 3D printing.

The National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) has introduced SmartRPD, a workflow that utilises digital technology to fabricate removable partial dentures (RPDs).

According to NDCS, the new system integrates intra-oral scanning, automatic design, and 3D printing to streamline workflows.

The centre collaborated with A*STAR's Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), which contributed computational geometry algorithms to automate the analysis of patient-specific dental scans and the generation of 3D models.

Between 2020 and 2023, multiple trials involved 33 NDCS clinicians, five private dentists, and 90 patients who participated in the scan, digital design, and 3D print workflow.

The initiative was supported by Temasek, Temasek Foundation, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd., and the Singapore Ministry of Health through the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Office.