6 ms·

Now that is awesome--those things aren't cheap. I'm going to send this to my dentist (who's cool enough to appreciate it).

by percept 11y ago

TheOsiris 11y ago
they're not, but this blog post made it seem like they're worth the money. I don't know how I feel about this post. I don't know if I can consider it a diy project when he has access to equipment beyond the reach of most ppl. if I had access to an orthodontist lab and build my own retainer using their equipment is that considered diy?
- readme 11y ago
  I don't think equipment access makes or breaks a diy project. As long as you did-it-yourself, it's diy.
- dezork 11y ago
  The only equipment here that might be an issue for most people is the laser scanner. I'm not sure where I'd find one of those outside a university that's accurate enough. The Makerbot one is pretty shitty. Everything else could be pretty easily sourced. Shapeways can 3d print with very good resolution. You can buy a vacuum forming machine from Ebay for 100 bucks for exactly this purpose, or make one yourself with a heat gun, wood, and a shop vac (there's tutorials on youtube).
rev_bird 11y ago
It has not once in my life occurred to me to email my dentist.
- jackweirdy 11y ago
  Welcome to the future!
- marincounty 11y ago
  I wonder why we avoid dentists? I know we all have the pain stories, but I think there's something else? As I gotten older, I just like to pretend they, along with MD's don't actually exist. What's ironic is I never met a dentist with the ego that seems to come with medical doctors. I've never met a dentist who was not a friendly person. I do feel bad when I can't respond to their questions with a mouth filled with cotton, and instruments. As to the DIY orthodontic device, this is what I've been waiting for. The day I need a 3D printer haven't quite come, but it's getting close. I an still awaiting the day I go to the pirate bay, and under Physibles dowload a stl file. Here's a funny story about dentistry. I was a thumb sucker. I guess I was nervous? I don't know? I just know I couldn't stop sucking my thumb. It was a horrid habit, and even as a kid I knew it, but just couldn't kick it. I had one baby sitter(the Plumber next door) get so tired of looking at me suck my thumb, while he was watching The Rockford Files; he threatened to cut it off. Well, I inched towards to door quietly, and when I got my hands on the knob, I ran into Donna Oties house, and wouldn't leave her bed. I was 2, or 3? Never forgot that baby sitter. Looking back he was embarrassed, but I literally thought he was going to cut it off. Never quite trusted men since that incident. Even now I find myself trusting women, over men. I think that incident played with my psyche? O.k. jump to first grade. I'm still sucking my thumb in private. I'm trying to hide it from my parents, but they would catch me. My mom took me to this dentist. His solution was to put two bright stainless bands on my two front incisors. The bands had pin sharp pieces of metal jutting towards my tongue. The theory went--when I put my thumb in my mouth--the needles would prick my thumb making it impossible to suck. Well, the questions at school never ceased. When one kid found out through my little sister, the bands had tacks on the inside; the jokes were non-stop. I was a strong kid, so the jokes weren't too hurtful, but they still stung. One kid pushed me too far, and I hung him by his feet from the monkey bars. He never talked to me again. I still had these bands on my teeth in third grade, but I had grinded down the sharp points with my dad's Sears file. I could still suck my thumb, but I knew I needed to stop. I talked my parents into taking the bands off. I can still see my mother, "But _____, you are going to be buck toothed!" My father was on my side, and we got them off. Actually, my father bent the pins up a bit so I would be more comfortable eating. He did this early on. I think he knew the anti-thumb sucking pins were wrong, but you didn't want to upset mom back then? I finally got the pins off in fourth grade. It felt good! I noticed one lingering side effect of the device; I couldn't smile naturally. Yes, if something was really amusing I would smile, but my hand instinctively went over my mouth. To this day, I can't smile. I can try to smile, but it just comes out looking fake. I'm middle aged now, and I have maybe 10 pictures of myself. I got through high school without my picture being taken. I got through middle shool without my picture taken. My college girlfriend had a picture of me, but she literally had come to tears in order for that Polaroid shot. The DMV, and Costco has my picture--that's it. All these years, I managed to duck, or avoid the camera. Crazy huh?
- percept 11y ago
  I know--mine texted me the night after my filling, to see how it was coming along. She does that for everybody, along with a number of other practices that do her and (would) her profession great credit.
  - Tempest1981 11y ago
    I just got a FAX from mine...
  - thrw1122 11y ago
    Are you in SF? If so, who is it - I am looking for one :) thx.
    - percept 11y ago
      Nah, but I found her on Yelp.

Now that is awesome--those things aren't cheap. I'm going to send this to my dentist (who's cool enough to appreciate it).

by percept 11y ago

Now that is awesome--those things aren't cheap. I'm going to send this to my dentist (who's cool enough to appreciate it).

TheOsiris 11y ago

they're not, but this blog post made it seem like they're worth the money. I don't know how I feel about this post. I don't know if I can consider it a diy project when he has access to equipment beyond the reach of most ppl. if I had access to an orthodontist lab and build my own retainer using their equipment is that considered diy?

readme 11y ago
I don't think equipment access makes or breaks a diy project. As long as you did-it-yourself, it's diy.
dezork 11y ago
The only equipment here that might be an issue for most people is the laser scanner. I'm not sure where I'd find one of those outside a university that's accurate enough. The Makerbot one is pretty shitty. Everything else could be pretty easily sourced. Shapeways can 3d print with very good resolution. You can buy a vacuum forming machine from Ebay for 100 bucks for exactly this purpose, or make one yourself with a heat gun, wood, and a shop vac (there's tutorials on youtube).

rev_bird 11y ago

It has not once in my life occurred to me to email my dentist.

jackweirdy 11y ago
Welcome to the future!
marincounty 11y ago
I wonder why we avoid dentists? I know we all have the pain stories, but I think there's something else? As I gotten older, I just like to pretend they, along with MD's don't actually exist. What's ironic is I never met a dentist with the ego that seems to come with medical doctors. I've never met a dentist who was not a friendly person. I do feel bad when I can't respond to their questions with a mouth filled with cotton, and instruments. As to the DIY orthodontic device, this is what I've been waiting for. The day I need a 3D printer haven't quite come, but it's getting close. I an still awaiting the day I go to the pirate bay, and under Physibles dowload a stl file. Here's a funny story about dentistry. I was a thumb sucker. I guess I was nervous? I don't know? I just know I couldn't stop sucking my thumb. It was a horrid habit, and even as a kid I knew it, but just couldn't kick it. I had one baby sitter(the Plumber next door) get so tired of looking at me suck my thumb, while he was watching The Rockford Files; he threatened to cut it off. Well, I inched towards to door quietly, and when I got my hands on the knob, I ran into Donna Oties house, and wouldn't leave her bed. I was 2, or 3? Never forgot that baby sitter. Looking back he was embarrassed, but I literally thought he was going to cut it off. Never quite trusted men since that incident. Even now I find myself trusting women, over men. I think that incident played with my psyche? O.k. jump to first grade. I'm still sucking my thumb in private. I'm trying to hide it from my parents, but they would catch me. My mom took me to this dentist. His solution was to put two bright stainless bands on my two front incisors. The bands had pin sharp pieces of metal jutting towards my tongue. The theory went--when I put my thumb in my mouth--the needles would prick my thumb making it impossible to suck. Well, the questions at school never ceased. When one kid found out through my little sister, the bands had tacks on the inside; the jokes were non-stop. I was a strong kid, so the jokes weren't too hurtful, but they still stung. One kid pushed me too far, and I hung him by his feet from the monkey bars. He never talked to me again. I still had these bands on my teeth in third grade, but I had grinded down the sharp points with my dad's Sears file. I could still suck my thumb, but I knew I needed to stop. I talked my parents into taking the bands off. I can still see my mother, "But _____, you are going to be buck toothed!" My father was on my side, and we got them off. Actually, my father bent the pins up a bit so I would be more comfortable eating. He did this early on. I think he knew the anti-thumb sucking pins were wrong, but you didn't want to upset mom back then? I finally got the pins off in fourth grade. It felt good! I noticed one lingering side effect of the device; I couldn't smile naturally. Yes, if something was really amusing I would smile, but my hand instinctively went over my mouth. To this day, I can't smile. I can try to smile, but it just comes out looking fake. I'm middle aged now, and I have maybe 10 pictures of myself. I got through high school without my picture being taken. I got through middle shool without my picture taken. My college girlfriend had a picture of me, but she literally had come to tears in order for that Polaroid shot. The DMV, and Costco has my picture--that's it. All these years, I managed to duck, or avoid the camera. Crazy huh?
percept 11y ago
I know--mine texted me the night after my filling, to see how it was coming along. She does that for everybody, along with a number of other practices that do her and (would) her profession great credit.
- Tempest1981 11y ago
  I just got a FAX from mine...
- thrw1122 11y ago
  Are you in SF? If so, who is it - I am looking for one :) thx.
  - percept 11y ago
    Nah, but I found her on Yelp.