Amos Dudley is a 23-year-old Digital Design student at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Dudley wasn’t exactly happy with his teeth and wanted to put his 3D printing skills to the test.
He said, “At the time of writing this, I’m an undergrad, which means that a) I’m broke, and b) I have access to expensive digital fabrication tools – definitely an unusual dichotomy. What is to stop someone, who has access to a 3D printer, from making their own orthodontic aligners? Turns out, not much! Except for an instinct for self-preservation (If you want to lose your lunch, search Google to see how amateur wire braces can go horribly wrong).”
Dudley did a huge amount of research and read two textbooks on the subject. After wearing the braces for 16 weeks Dudley’s teeth are noticeably straighter. The clear braces are made from non-toxic plastic bought on eBay for about $60.