LEUVEN, BELGIUM—
An 83-year-old woman recently received a new titanium jaw made by a company from Belgium that uses 3D printers. Layerwise made the jaw from titanium power, heated and built it in layers using their 3D printer. The whole process to make to jaw took only 2 hours.
The woman had a bone infection that quickly destroyed her lower jaw and that's when doctors called upon Layerwise to see if they could help. The operation to insert the new jaw took place in the Netherlands. The woman was speaking normally and swallowing the day after the operation.
The procedure, doctors say is the first of its kind.
