Questions about medical and dental models
What can makers here print?
Anatomy and dental models for teaching, study and display, typodonts and practice teeth, generic models that explain a procedure, organisers and stands that never touch a patient, and prototypes marked 'not for patient use'.
How much does a printed teaching model cost?
It depends on size, material, detail, colours, labels and quantity. The estimator on the home page gives a rough print-only range; makers quote the real price from your brief.
Who are the makers?
Independent people and small workshops with resin and FDM printers. They are not registered medical device manufacturers or dental laboratories, and The Spool List is not one either.
How does payment work?
You pay when you accept a quote. The platform holds the payment and releases it to the maker once you confirm delivery. Buyers pay no platform fee on top of the maker's price.
Can a maker here 3D print dentures, crowns or replacement teeth?
No. Dentures, crowns, bridges, veneers, aligners, retainers and guards are dental devices made to a dentist's prescription by registered labs. In the UK, the General Dental Council says it is illegal for someone who isn't registered to make dentures directly for patients. Talk to your dentist. The dental page explains more.
Can I send my own CT or MRI scan to have a model printed?
Not for diagnosis, surgical planning or treatment. Models made from a patient's scans for a clinician's decisions are regulated devices in the US, and scans are health data. Makers here print from generic or open educational anatomy files.
Are the models sterile or biocompatible?
No. Nothing printed here is sold as sterile, sterilisable or safe for contact with the body. Biocompatibility depends on a validated process, not just the resin, and common print plastics such as PLA can deform in an autoclave.
Is a 3D printed anatomy model a medical device?
Whether something is a medical device depends on what it is made and sold for. Our reading of the US, EU and UK definitions is that a model made and sold only for teaching or display, with no medical purpose claimed, is not sold as a medical device. That is our reading, not legal advice.