Name-brand clear braces like Invisalign can cost upwards of $8,000. Amos Dudley, using equipment from his school, 3-D-printed his own braces for only $60.
Dudley, a 23-year old student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, realized while looking at braces options on the internet that it looked like something he could print in his school lab.
After using equipment at his school to scan and create a 3-D model of his teeth, Dudley created a plastic mold around it to serve as his plastic braces.
College Student Makes His Own DIY Braces For $60, Saves Thousands Of Dollars
— xexe_club_uk (@xexe_club_uk) March 19, 2016
Amos Dudley di https://t.co/CBtdkvZ7Pk pic.twitter.com/ZtEL6ngcS2
The process took extensive research on how to make the precise calculations on what size the realignment braces should be, since the process requires multiple sets of braces that gradually shift your teeth in a certain direction.
Ultimately, Dudley printed 12 sets of braces, and as of this week is still wearing the last set, he told CNN Money.
However, Dudley isn’t looking to “disrupt” the braces business, describing the experiment as a “hacking project” more than anything else.
“I think there’s too much liability,” Dudley told CNN. “I’m not interested in orthodontics. It was more of a hacker project than making a business out of this.”
Dudley has turned down several requests from other people to make braces for them.
