Innovative Partnership: Proclaim Health, 3D Systems, and In'Tech Industries for Oral Health

Proclaim Health is a medical device manufacturer based in Mountain View, California. The company’s first product is based on the development of a groundbreaking 3D-printed oral health system for home use. Proclaim aimed to solve the problem that many people either don’t use dental floss or don’t use it effectively, said David Motorhaube, Director of Marketing Dental Professional Channel at Proclaim Health. Gum disease is a widespread issue, with numerous studies showing a link between gum disease and systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many more. That’s why the company wanted to develop a product that would help people improve their oral and overall health by revolutionizing at-home oral care.

Proclaim envisioned an entirely new approach to interdental cleaning that would replace traditional flossing or water flossing. The company developed a concept – the Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System – which cleans the user’s mouth in just seven seconds using high-pressure jets. The goal was to customize each system based on dental scans of the individual’s mouth to ensure maximum effectiveness. Since nothing like this existed in the dental technology market, Proclaim’s engineers brought the idea to life.

“We start with a scan of the teeth and design each system individually to fit the customer’s mouth, directing the jets to apply just the right amount of pressure to the targeted areas. This type of solution doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world today.”

Brent Goldstein, Vice President, Software and Digital-Customized Medical Products, Proclaim Health

The Challenge

Which partner could best bring efficiency and best practices for scaling production?

Proclaim knew one thing: 3D printing was the only way to develop the patient-specific Custom-Jet Oral Health System. Traditional injection molding would not be suitable for producing a customized system for every customer. After discussions with various 3D printing companies and service providers, Proclaim chose the printing technology from 3D Systems to realize this innovative oral health system. To optimize its approach, Proclaim’s team relied not only on the advanced printing technology but also on the in-depth technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities of the Application Innovation Group (AIG) at 3D Systems, according to Goldstein.

“We knew it would be challenging to scale this product, and we needed a partner we were confident could get the job done,” Goldstein said. “3D Systems has extensive experience in manufacturing medical devices and custom mass products in orthodontics.”

Once the AIG team was on board, they implemented their application development model. This model examines product design and functionality to optimize the technical, clinical, and functional requirements—such as surface quality, biocompatibility, translucency, and precision—as much as possible while meeting economic goals.

The Solution

Unique Expertise for a Unique 3D Printing Application
Courtesy of Proclaim Health

To optimize the system, which consists of a mouthpiece and a hydro station, Proclaim and 3D Systems worked closely together. The mouthpiece is highly complex, featuring eight different distributor capillaries that each split into multiple nozzles to direct and focus the water jet to the correct spots in the mouth.

Proclaim’s engineers chose biocompatible Class VI Accura® ClearVue material from 3D Systems and laser-based stereolithography (SLA), which proved to be the optimal technology for manufacturing the device. Additionally, a custom hydraulic test was conducted using a 4x4x4 device. This device is attached to the mouthpiece and pumps water through it, simulating the hydro station’s function.

Once the product met the requirements for technical feasibility and the design was fully optimized, Proclaim acquired a compact SLA 7000 printer from 3D Systems to demonstrate the feasibility of the product during the beta phase. Satisfied with the initial results, Proclaim moved on to the next phase: industrial scaling and mass production. To this end, Proclaim partnered with In’Tech Industries in Minnesota, which operates several large-format SLA printers from 3D Systems.

3D Systems recommended an experienced contract manufacturer—In’Tech Industries of Minnesota—to take the product across the finish line and ultimately to market. In’Tech has a long track record of success in custom mass production, including the large-scale production of custom 3D-printed hearing aids, dental and orthodontic products, and other medical solutions. The company has also collaborated with 3D Systems for more than two decades.

Scaling to Industrial Production

In the next phase, insights and optimizations from the compact SLA 7000 with lower power requirements were applied to large-format SLA. 3D Systems acted as a partner throughout the entire process with In’Tech and Proclaim. To build a successful prototype, In’Tech handled printing, Class VI post-processing, assembly, hydro tests, and tests with high and low tolerances to validate the mouthpiece. This process took about 90 days and went almost entirely smoothly.

“There were times we had to rely on support from 3D Systems. Whether it was during development or in optimizing production processes, we consistently leaned on 3D Systems. Their expertise extends far beyond printers and materials, which is incredibly valuable for us and our customers.”
– Roger Neilson Jr., Co-owner, CEO, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, In’Tech Industries Inc.

In’Tech has full facilities for tooling, engineering, and forming processes. These were employed on many occasions, such as in post-curing, improving ways to finish the lower part of the mouthpiece, and adding plastic components for full functionality and connection to the base unit. Throughout the entire process, In’Tech collaborated with 3D Systems and Proclaim to create the prototype and prepare for mass production.

After the prototype underwent clinical testing and eventually received FDA approval, In’Tech began production of the Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System. When orders come in, In’Tech prints the custom mouthpiece according to the individual specifications of each customer, performs Class VI post-processing, mills the fit surfaces, attaches a cuff, conducts hydro tests, then cleans, packages, and ships the finished device to Proclaim’s logistics center.

The Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System is the first consumer product that In’Tech has manufactured using 3D Systems’ Accura ClearVue material. With its growing business in production applications in the life sciences sector, In’Tech is also expanding further into 3D printing with Figure 4® brand devices and materials from 3D Systems for medical applications.

The Results

Innovation in Oral Health Creates Excitement

A clinical study demonstrated that Proclaim reduced gum bleeding by up to 82% and gum inflammation by up to 41% in just 30 days. Delivery of the Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System began in February 2024. The innovative oral care product has generated significant buzz in the media and the dental community for its customized, patient-specific innovation and impressive results.

Everyone involved at Proclaim, 3D Systems, and In’Tech is proud to have brought such a complex 3D-printed device to market. Neilson, who was part of the development process, has ordered one of the devices for himself. He is impressed by the innovative product that cleans so thoroughly in just seven seconds.

“Many dentists are saying, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ A lot of dentists want to try it themselves and are ordering demo units for their practices.”

Brent Goldstein, Vice President, Software and Digital-Customized Medical Products, Proclaim Health

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