Amos Dudley, a 24-year-old boy who studies digital design at New Jersey University of Technology, felt ashamed about his teeth. But being a student, Dudley didn't have the money to get braces . So, he decided to 3-D print his own and marked down the DIY project in a recent blog post. His braces totaled less than $60, and after wearing them for 16 weeks, his teeth are also getting straighter. Months ago, he mentioned on his blog that he avoided smiling for a while because he was unhappy with his teeth. However, clear braces can get pricey, costing up to $8,000. But after studying some images of these expensive clear braces, something comes up on him--they looked like that one which can come from a 3-D printer. So he decided to hit up his school's 3-D printing equipment and scanned and printed models of his teeth. He then made non-harmful plastic molds   around them to make 12 sets of braces. Dudley, who does not recommend attempting any of this at home said that he didn't ask a dentist for his project. But the student did get information from journal articles and textbooks. And though this was a perfectly friendly choice to buy braces. He didn't accept the project just to save money--he was also up for the challenge. "When I realized that I could do something that was a little bit special, while proving my skills as a designer and a maker, and fixing something that was making me self-conscious for actually free, I felt it was more than worth the risk." he said. What made Dudley get the idea of using 3-D printed braces?
The advice from the dentist. The advice from his friends. His major studies at university. The possibility of making 3-D braces.