How to Support Dental Models That Can’t Be Printed Flat

When printing dental appliances such as surgical guides, splints or nightguards, one of the most common challenges is that these models often can’t be printed flat on the build plate. Their organic shapes, varying wall thicknesses, and functional design features make it essential to angle and support them correctly to achieve a successful print.

Dental model supported at an angle

Flat prints can be affected by suction forces during the lift process, poor resin flow, and layer delamination, all of which can compromise accuracy and surface quality. Instead, printing at an angle helps resin drain more effectively, reduces surface tension during layer separation, and improves dimensional stability.

Optimal Orientation

For most nightguards and surgical guides, an angle between 30° and 70° from the build plate is ideal. This orientation reduces the cross-sectional area, helping to avoid printing large, flat surfaces in a single layer. The goal is to allow the model to build up gradually while keeping support contact away from detailed fitting surfaces.

Angled nightguard with supports

Positioning the model correctly is just the beginning. You’ll also need to ensure the supports are strong enough to hold it in place during the entire print process, especially for heavier or more intricate designs.

Support Settings: Medium to Heavy with Dense Distribution

Given the weight and geometry of these models, medium to heavy support presets are recommended. Avoid light or sparse supports, as they often won’t be strong enough to prevent shifting or detachment.

Dense support example

 

 

  • Contact Point Size: At least 0.40 mm. Too small and they’ll fail mid-print.
  • Penetration Depth: Ensure the supports are embedded sufficiently to remain locked in place.
  • Density: Dense supports underneath broad areas prevent flex and print artefacts.
  • Pillars: Use thicker supports (3–5 mm) under heavier zones to reduce shifting.

                                                          Protecting Critical Surfaces

Surgical guide with well-placed supports

It’s essential to avoid placing supports on areas that must remain functional and precise, such as the fitting surface of a night guard or the sleeve of a surgical guide. Where unavoidable, use the smallest possible contact size and ensure your post-processing preserves the original geometry. Final Tips Before Printing

  • Use the slicer layer preview to check for unsupported islands and weak points.
  • Enable light smoothing and anti-aliasing to reduce stair-stepping on sloped surfaces.
  • Always confirm that your supports are properly anchored and not just touching.
  • If in doubt, do a test print of a section before committing to the whole model.

With thoughtful orientation and properly tuned support settings, even complex dental models can print cleanly and accurately. This ensures consistent clinical results and reduces rework or print failures.

If you’d like to see examples using SPLINT™ or PRECISE+™ resins in Lychee, let us know. We’re happy to share our lab setups and preferred presets to help streamline your workflow.