College student 3D prints his own braces

Amos Dudley, a college student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 3-D printed his own braces. He had not worn his retainer as much as he should have, and his teeth shifted. However, when looking for clear braces such as Invisalign, Damon, and ClearCorrect can cost as much as $8,000, so he decided to make his own costing him less than $60. He made 12 sets of clear braces, determining how far to more his teeth in each set to correct the problems using a process similar to that of Orthodontists. To make the braces, he used NJIT's equipment to scan and print models of his teeth, which he molded non-toxic plastic around to form the braces. He has gotten requests to make braces for other people, however he declines as, "It was more of a hacker project," than a business he said, and he doesn't recommend anyone else trying what he did. Nevertheless, stories like his illustrate what the how much easier it may be in the future for people to make rather than buy what they need.

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