Engineer uses 3D printing to provide free dentures to underserved communities

3D printing has come a long way over the years. No longer is it solely used for printing figures and props for D&D campaigns, but it is now expanding to take space in all kinds of places, including your mouth. According to a CNN report, a 22-year-old engineer Connor Gibson, is using the 3D printing technique to make free dentures for people who may not be able to afford them. The Tennessee native is working with Remote Area Medical, helping turn a process that once took three months into one that takes only a few hours. Gibson volunteered with the nonprofit while studying engineering at Walters State Community College. He was instantly inspired by the organisation's mission to help the country's poor and was determined to find a way to improve the speed at which dentures could be delivered. Interestingly, he had no background in dentistry and not much knowledge of 3D printing. But he taught himself all about dental anatomy and digital design, learning the depths of the software needed to manufacture custom dentures based on every patient's scans. “Honestly, if you told me three years ago, this is what I would be doing, I would have called you crazy,” he told CNN.

A crazy weekend

He has printed as many as 35 sets of dentures in a single weekend.

Out of all the things you could spend your weekends doing, getting customised dentures made is now one. Gibson now works as RAM's digital technology manager with a mobile office loaded with two 3D printers that run round-the-clock on weekends. He has printed as many as 35 sets of dentures in a single weekend. The non-profit organisation based out of Rockford, Tennessee, provides free dental, vision and medical care through volunteer-powered mobile clinics across US. “Never, ever, in school did they say, ‘You can design something that could change someone’s life like a denture,’” Gibson told the outlet. “It’s not something immediately on someone’s mind when they’re thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going into engineering.’” “Mirror moments” is what Gibson calls the experience of watching someone with a freshly printed set of dentures see their new, beautiful mouth of teeth in the mirror for the first time, with some openly weeping at a sight they never imagined they would get to see again. “Something that I was able to have a hand in makes a grown man burst into tears,” Gibson said, reflecting on the first patient. “To see that raw, human emotion and just know that I played a change in this person’s life … it’s very humbling, and I’m beyond blessed. ” “Since then, it’s all just like fireworks every weekend. That’s what we’re striving for — to get more and more of those mirror moments. It’s something you can’t truly describe unless you’re there.” In the US, about 72 million adults, roughly 27% of the population, do not have dental insurance. Even for those who have Medicare, the US federal health insurance program primarily for people 65 and older, in most cases it doesn’t cover dental services like routine cleanings, fillings or items like dentures and implants. He is a dental saviour at a time when millions of Americans lack dental insurance and when Medicare lacks dental coverage for some.

Continuing a legacy

In 2026, RAM plans to host more than 90 “full-scale medical, dental, and vision clinics.”

Remote Area Medical has served over 1 million patients and provided nearly $240 million in care since its founding in 1985, thanks to the charity’s 230,000 volunteers. It was founded by the late Stan Brock, the captivating British cowboy who co-starred in “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” television series in the 1960s and ’70s, before making it his life mission to provide free healthcare to underserved communities across the United States. It was the documentary on Brock that first inspired Gibson. He saw the film at a movie theatre in 2023 with his father. “That movie really opened my eyes when it comes to where our nation is right now,” he said. RAM’s CEO Chris Hall first joined the charity in 2013. At the time, the organisation held about 12 events a year. In 2026, RAM plans to host more than 90 “full-scale medical, dental, and vision clinics.” “The goal for us is to make someone’s day better,” Hall told CNN. He said Gibson embodies everything about Brock and his legacy. “Connor never had the opportunity to meet Stan,” Hall said. “But if Stan was to meet Connor, I think Stan would see someone who truly has the ability to change the world, someone who has passion to help other people.” Gibson's story has brought in more support for the organisation. A manufacturer of 3D printers reached out, Hall said, about donating newer and better machines that will give RAM a fleet of three mobile dental units, instead of its current one lab. That will allow RAM and Gibson to make over 100 dentures in a single weekend, tripling the number of “mirror moments.”