3D Printing

Buyer guides

  • Best 3D printers
  • For beginners
  • Multicolor
  • Resin printers
  • Budget (under $400)
  • For kids and schools
  • For miniatures
  • Large format
All printer guides

Brands and compare

  • Bambu Lab lineup compared
  • Compare printers
  • Full color 3D printers
  • Large scale and industrial

Reviews

  • Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra
  • FLSun T1 Pro
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro
All reviews
Best 3D Printers 2026: Buyer’s Guide

Start with the top picks

Best 3D Printers 2026: Buyer’s Guide

Twenty printers tested and ranked, from $169 to the H2D.

See the picks

Filament

  • Best PETG filament
  • Best PLA filament
  • Best TPU filament
  • Best ABS and ASA filament
  • Engineering filaments
  • Composite filaments
  • Flexible filaments
  • Bio filaments
All filament guides

Resin

  • For miniatures
  • Tough and ABS-like
  • Castable resin
  • Water-washable
  • Flexible resin
All resin guides

Accessories

  • Filament dryers
  • Printer enclosures
  • Wash and cure stations
Best Filament Dryers (2026 Guide)

Most-clicked accessory

Best Filament Dryers (2026 Guide)

Wet filament causes most failed prints; the fix costs less than a spool.

Compare dryers

Buyer guides

  • Small objects
  • Medium objects
  • Large objects
  • Professional scanners
  • Scan with your phone
All scanner guides

Software and service

  • 3D scanner software
  • Scanning service vs buying

Reviews

  • Revopoint MetroY Pro
  • Revopoint Inspire 2
  • Revopoint Trackit
All scanner reviews
3D Scanners 2026: The Complete Buying Guide

Find the right scanner

3D Scanners 2026: The Complete Buying Guide

Nineteen scanners from $400 to $40,000, sorted by object size.

Open the guide

Design and AI

  • AI 3D model generators
  • 3D modeling and CAD software

Print prep and control

  • Slicers
  • STL repair tools
  • Printer host and remote control

Reviews

  • Tripo H3.1
  • Meshy 7
All software reviews
Best AI 3D Model Generators for 3D Printing (2026)

Fastest-growing guide

Best AI 3D Model Generators for 3D Printing (2026)

Type a prompt, get a printable model: the tools we tested, free tiers first.

Try the tools

Start here

  • What is 3D printing?
  • How much does it cost?
  • FDM vs resin
  • Best printers for beginners

How it works

  • What is a 3D printer?
  • How does 3D printing work?
  • Types of 3D printing
  • Metal 3D printing

How-tos and glossary

  • 3D printing glossary
  • Food-safe 3D printing
  • Setting up a school program
  • Free 3D printable models
What is 3D Printing?

Start here

What is 3D Printing?

The one-page explainer, then how much it costs and which technology to buy.

Start reading
Black FridayNEW

Latest

  • Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms
  • Callaway Plans $15M Titanium 3D Printing Facility in Fort Worth
  • Blue Origin Northstar Booster Engine Is Over 65 Percent Printed
  • Printed Tungsten Tiles Survive Plasma Tests at DIII-D
  • LLNL Prints Tiny NIF Target Cone Ten Times Faster
All news

Use cases

  • Prague Firefighters 3D Print Their Own Gear on a Prusa CORE One L
  • OECHSLER Scales Carbon Lattice Production to 40 Printers Running Around the Clock
  • Reverse Engineering Without CAD Data: How the MetroY Ultra Turns Physical Parts into Digital Designs
  • Michigan State Engineers 3D Printed Helmet Inserts to Help Quarterbacks Tackle Crowd Noise
  • 3D Printed Quiet Pickleball Unveiled
All use cases

Industry

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Construction
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Electronics
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Bioprinting
Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms

Latest

Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms

Robo Nine is 3D printing its first batch of 50 SO-ARM102 leader arms in China for the open-source…

Read more
Contact
  • Home
  • Products
  • Videos
  • Newsletter
  • Contact us

Buyer guides

  • Best 3D printers
  • For beginners
  • Multicolor
  • Resin printers
  • Budget (under $400)
  • For kids and schools
  • For miniatures
  • Large format
All printer guides

Brands and compare

  • Bambu Lab lineup compared
  • Compare printers
  • Full color 3D printers
  • Large scale and industrial

Reviews

  • Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra
  • FLSun T1 Pro
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro
All reviews

Filament

  • Best PETG filament
  • Best PLA filament
  • Best TPU filament
  • Best ABS and ASA filament
  • Engineering filaments
  • Composite filaments
  • Flexible filaments
  • Bio filaments
All filament guides

Resin

  • For miniatures
  • Tough and ABS-like
  • Castable resin
  • Water-washable
  • Flexible resin
All resin guides

Accessories

  • Filament dryers
  • Printer enclosures
  • Wash and cure stations

Buyer guides

  • Small objects
  • Medium objects
  • Large objects
  • Professional scanners
  • Scan with your phone
All scanner guides

Software and service

  • 3D scanner software
  • Scanning service vs buying

Reviews

  • Revopoint MetroY Pro
  • Revopoint Inspire 2
  • Revopoint Trackit
All scanner reviews

Design and AI

  • AI 3D model generators
  • 3D modeling and CAD software

Print prep and control

  • Slicers
  • STL repair tools
  • Printer host and remote control

Reviews

  • Tripo H3.1
  • Meshy 7
All software reviews

Start here

  • What is 3D printing?
  • How much does it cost?
  • FDM vs resin
  • Best printers for beginners

How it works

  • What is a 3D printer?
  • How does 3D printing work?
  • Types of 3D printing
  • Metal 3D printing

How-tos and glossary

  • 3D printing glossary
  • Food-safe 3D printing
  • Setting up a school program
  • Free 3D printable models
Black FridayNEW

Latest

  • Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms
  • Callaway Plans $15M Titanium 3D Printing Facility in Fort Worth
  • Blue Origin Northstar Booster Engine Is Over 65 Percent Printed
  • Printed Tungsten Tiles Survive Plasma Tests at DIII-D
  • LLNL Prints Tiny NIF Target Cone Ten Times Faster
All news

Use cases

  • Prague Firefighters 3D Print Their Own Gear on a Prusa CORE One L
  • OECHSLER Scales Carbon Lattice Production to 40 Printers Running Around the Clock
  • Reverse Engineering Without CAD Data: How the MetroY Ultra Turns Physical Parts into Digital Designs
  • Michigan State Engineers 3D Printed Helmet Inserts to Help Quarterbacks Tackle Crowd Noise
  • 3D Printed Quiet Pickleball Unveiled
All use cases

Industry

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Construction
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Electronics
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Bioprinting
Contact
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing
Home / News / LightForce Orthodontics Secures $80 Million Funding for 3D Printed Braces

LightForce Orthodontics Secures $80 Million Funding for 3D Printed Braces

August 3, 2023

LightForce Orthodontics, the maker of the world’s first fully personalized 3D printed braces system, has raised $80 million in a Series D funding round led by Ally Bridge Group. Other participants in the round include Transformation Capital, CareCapital, Omega Venture Partners, Matter Venture Partners, and the American Association of Orthodontics, along with existing investors Kleiner Perkins, Tyche Partners, and Matrix Partners.

AI + AM

The funding will be used to empower orthodontists in delivering personalized care with custom 3D printed brackets by scaling production with a new facility and advancing the use of AI in their workflows. LightForce’s 3D printed hardware is tailored to each patient’s unique digital treatment plan, incorporating powerful AI for accurate digital representations of patient anatomy and optimal teeth positions. The company aims to improve treatment efficiency and patient outcomes through shorter treatment times and better clinical results.

LightForce Orthodontics Secures $80 Million Funding for 3D Printed Braces
3D printed braces (Image Credit: LightForce Orthodontics)

LightForce, founded in 2020 is combining 3D printing and AI to offer a new level of personalization and efficiency for orthodontists. The company plans to invest in clinical education resources to help orthodontists transition from traditional one-size-fits-all braces to a fully digital practice.

Custom Fit

The personalized approach by LightForce significantly reduces the need for adjustments compared to traditional braces, resulting in shorter treatment times, fewer appointments, and better outcomes. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics found that LightForce cases finished 45% faster with 41% fewer scheduled appointments than conventional bracket cases.

“LightForce is taking the orthodontic industry to the next level,” said Kevin Reilly, Managing Director at Ally Bridge Group.

“Their solution applies highly innovative technologies to enable the personalization of orthodontic treatment via 3D printing, helping patients achieve their best smiles. We are excited to be part of a diverse group of top-tier healthcare and tech investors that believe in the benefits of personalized medicine in the orthodontic industry. The future of orthodontics is customization and digital workflow and we are excited to see the continued enhancement in patient care through this funding.”

With the latest funding, LightForce aims to continue attracting top talent, innovate through its orthodontist community, and elevate the standard of care for teen orthodontic treatment. The future of orthodontics, according to Reilly, lies in customization and digital workflow, making LightForce’s approach a promising step forward in the industry.

Come and let us know your thoughts on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages, and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly additive manufacturing newsletter to get all the latest stories delivered right to your inbox.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail

Phillip Keane

Phillip is an aerospace engineer from UK. He is a graduate of Coventry University (UK), International Space University (France) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), where he studied Advanced Manufacturing at the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing.

Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms

Robo Nine is 3D printing its first batch of 50 SO-ARM102 leader arms in China for the open-source education kit sold at robonine.com.

Electronics
Robo Nine Starts Printing First Fifty Robot Leader Arms

Callaway Plans $15M Titanium 3D Printing Facility in Fort Worth

Callaway Golf will invest $15 million in a Fort Worth titanium 3D printing facility, expected to open mid-2027 and support custom titanium products... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Callaway Plans $15M Titanium 3D Printing Facility in Fort Worth

Blue Origin Northstar Booster Engine Is Over 65 Percent Printed

Blue Origin's new Northstar liquid oxygen and LNG booster engine is more than 65 percent additively manufactured, with 30 percent less mass than... read more »

Accessories
Blue Origin Northstar Booster Engine Is Over 65 Percent Printed

Printed Tungsten Tiles Survive Plasma Tests at DIII-D

NC State, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and JEOL put full-size electron-beam printed tungsten divertor tiles through 74 plasma shots at DIII-D.

3D Printing Metal
Printed Tungsten Tiles Survive Plasma Tests at DIII-D

LLNL Prints Tiny NIF Target Cone Ten Times Faster

Lawrence Livermore used two-photon polymerization to print a sub-millimeter National Ignition Facility diagnostic cone in one day instead of ten.

News
LLNL Prints Tiny NIF Target Cone Ten Times Faster

Tripo AI Launches Agentic Canvas, a Node-Based Workflow Builder for AI 3D

Tripo AI has launched Agentic Canvas, a node-based workspace inside Tripo Studio where an AI agent assembles multi-step 3D workflows that users can... read more »

News
Tripo AI Launches Agentic Canvas, a Node-Based Workflow Builder for AI 3D

Northwestern Engineers Print Paste Inks Into Freestanding Lattices Four Times Faster

Northwestern's slot-die and light process builds freestanding lattices from paste inks over four times faster than extrusion, without co-printed supports.

News
Northwestern Engineers Print Paste Inks Into Freestanding Lattices Four Times Faster

University of Tokyo Team 3D Prints Robot Legs With TPU Muscles and Ligaments

A University of Tokyo team tunes printed lattices in one TPU to give a life-sized robot soft muscles, stiff tendons and bearing-free joints.

News
University of Tokyo Team 3D Prints Robot Legs With TPU Muscles and Ligaments

Maurice Ribble’s EEW Maker Kit Turns 3D Printed Parts Into an Electric Spinning Wheel

A $99 Kickstarter hardware kit pairs a motor, spindle and circuit board with open-source printed parts to build an electric spinning wheel for... read more »

News
Maurice Ribble’s EEW Maker Kit Turns 3D Printed Parts Into an Electric Spinning Wheel

Student Designs Backpack-Sized Folding 3D Printer With the Filament Spool Inside

Ethan Gao’s P2 design folds to 300 by 300 by 80 mm, hides a whole filament spool and has to be built by... read more »

3D Printers
Student Designs Backpack-Sized Folding 3D Printer With the Filament Spool Inside

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

revopoint miraco sidebar

Creality K2 Pro Combo

~$1,049
  • A 60°C actively heated enclosed CoreXY with 4-color CFS printing and Klipper-based fir…
Creality K2 Pro Combo
Buy Now creality.com

Qidi Q2C

~$379 to $399 solo, ~$529 with Qidi Box combo
  • Enclosed CoreXY FDM printer with a 370°C nozzle and 120°C bed enabling ABS, ASA, and…
Qidi Q2C
Buy Now qidi3d.com

Anycubic Photon Mono 4

~$219
  • The cheapest credible resin printer with 10K resolution on a 7-inch screen and a small…
Anycubic Photon Mono 4
Buy Now anycubic.com

Spectrum PCTG

~$25 to 32/kg
  • Price-competitive European PCTG using the same Eastman Tritan copolyester as Fiberlogy,…
Spectrum PCTG
Buy Now spectrumfilaments.com

3DMakerpro Moose Lite

~$399
  • Entry-level NIR medium crossover scanner with AI visual tracking at 0.05mm accuracy and…
3DMakerpro Moose Lite
Buy Now store.3dmakerpro.com

Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro

~$529
  • Features a built-in dual-layer HEPA and activated carbon filter rated to block 99% of p…
Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro
Buy Now flashforge.com

Bambu Lab H2S

~$1,249
  • Removes the dual-nozzle system from the H-series while keeping the 65°C heated chamber…
Bambu Lab H2S
Buy Now bambulab.com

Flashforge CJ270

$3,999
  • The first desktop material jetting (MJP) full-color 3D printer priced under $5,000, cap…
Flashforge CJ270
Buy Now flashforge.com

Site footer

The 3DPrinting.com newsletter

The week’s best reviews, buyer’s guides and deals. One email every Friday, no spam.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

3D PRINTING.COM

Independent reviews, buyer’s guides and news about 3D printers, materials, scanners and software.

Reviews

  • All reviews
  • 3D printers
  • Filament & materials
  • 3D scanners
  • Software
  • Compare products

Buyer's guides

  • Best 3D printers
  • Best resin 3D printers
  • 3D printers for beginners
  • Best PLA filament
  • Best slicers
  • Best pro 3D scanners

Learn & news

  • Latest news
  • Deals
  • What is 3D printing?
  • FDM vs resin
  • Use cases by industry
  • Glossary

Company

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise with us
  • Media kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

© 2026 3DPrinting.com · Strikwerda en Dehue

  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of use
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • RSS