Local orthodontist prints 3D masks

Local orthodontist, Dr. Don Spillers has started printing 3D masks for health care providers that are having a difficult time finding N95 masks. A post that a friend made online inspired the endeavor. Spillers said that because Spillers Orthodontics was only seeing emergency patients, printing the masks was something that they could do to help the community.

“We’re just trying to do something while we’re all being shut down, trying to do something to help,” Spillers said.

Spillers shared that many dentists and oral surgeons are unable to find N95 masks needed for their practices, and with many dental offices closed, several dental emergencies are being referred to the oral surgeons. Spillers said that once they started printing the masks, they were contacted by providers, and as a result have printed 10-12 masks.

According to Spillers, it costs $115 to $120 to produce each mask, around four and a half hours to print each mask, and then a subsequent 30 to 45 minutes once the printing is done to clean each mask up, making total production time around five hours per mask. “We’ve been printing them as fast as we can print them,” Spillers said.

The masks are custom fitted for each recipient’s face through a molding process, Spillers shared, also explaining that the fabric used for the actual mask aspect of the apparatus comes from HEPA filters bought from Home Depot. Spillers said that the filters are taken apart, which turns the fabric into one long sheet. They are then cut out and attached to the mask via a rubber band. The HEPA filter is replaceable, Spillers said, whereas the mask itself is made of hard plastic, which can be sanitized and used over and over again.

Spillers explained that there are hurdles with printing the masks. They are having a hard time finding the printing material, which he said might be because larger corporations are starting to print things like this as well. The masks, according to Spillers, are big and require a lot of material to make. Spillers also shared that there was a need for alcohol of 60% to 70% or higher for the cleaning process, which Spillers said has become hard to find as well.

Spillers said that he has seen positive feedback from the community concerning the project.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Thanks for doing what you’re doing.’ It’s been good; it’s been positive,” Spillers said. He further explained that the reason for the production was to help.

“We’re doing the best we can and are trying to protect as many people as we can that are on the front lines,” Spillers said.

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