NextDent 5100 3D Printer Review – Price, Ease of Use, Set-up & More!

We’re back with another 3D dental printer review and this time, we’re focusing on the NextDent 5100 by 3D Systems.  

If you haven’t already seen or read through our comprehensive and extensive review of every 3D printer on the market, you can click here to do so.

You can also sign up for our Free Academy which gives you access to our ‘Dental 3D Printer Review for 2023’ PDF and more free courses and eBook PDFs.

But first, let’s talk a little about NextDent by 3D Systems.

NextDent by 3D Systems

3D Systems is a well-known company in the 3D printing industry making a name for themselves in additive manufacturing technologies. 

Founded in 1983, 3D Systems offers a wide range of 3D printers, materials, software, and services to healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and education sectors.

In the dental sector, 3D Systems offers a selection of complete digital dental solutions to match specific requirements - from entry-level dental 3D printers and mid- and large-platform batch 3D printers, to rapidly scalable workflows, materials, and software, 

With its launch in 2018, the NextDent 5100 3D printer seemed to have quickly established itself as a front-runner in the dental 3D printing industry, most notably for its lightning-fast print speeds. 

But speed isn't its only highlight, it has other features we think are also worth mentioning.

Keep reading to find out more.

NextDent 5100 Print Speed

The NextDent 5100 is a blazingly fast printer. No question about it.

It is one of the fastest 3D printers on the dental market which is impressive given it was released in 2018.

This printer prints models easily within 15-20 minutes and an entire arch of restorations within 10-15 min.

This is a printer you should consider if print speed is important for you.  

How Easy is it to Use the NextDent 5100?

Like most dental printers, the NextDent 5100 is relatively straightforward to use, yet the software is a tad on the complicated side.

There is nothing too hard in its operation. The trays are easy to install and resin is poured directly in. Therefore, the printer uses resin bottles rather than cartridges etc. 

The build platform is simple to insert and remove. Levelling the print bed etc, is all straightforward.  

One thing to note is that the resin trays are quite expensive, so you want to ensure you handle them properly. 

Is the NextDent 5100 Reliable?

Over the testing period, a few failures occurred, but not to the point that felt troublesome to use. We are aware that some users on FB groups have complained about reliability issues.

We personally use this printer in iDD Lab all the time with little issue. For us it has been a reliable printer that is still in operation in our busy lab for over 4 years. 

NextDent 5100 Software

The NextDent 5100 software is called Sprint, and it is similar to all other printer software.

It works well, STLs are easy to import and have AI for supports etc. Sending jobs to the printer is easy. Nothing too noteworthy, just good printer software.

The only downside is that it is a little complicated to use. It also does not have any cloud features.

Material Options and Availability of the NextDent 5100

This is a closed system, but there is a large variety of resins for this printer.

NextDent has spent years validating more and more resins. These are all under their own brand, so once again, no third party resins can be used in this printer like KeySplint Soft.

In saying that, the NextDent range of resins is generally very good. In particular, their temp crown options and denture resins are very decent.

In total there are 30 unique NextDent biocompatible materials - the largest number available from any individual dental material supplier - the NextDent 5100 addresses multiple dental applications.

All NextDent materials are biocompatible and CE-certified, FDA listed and classified in accordance with the international medical device regulations. It is quite impressive for a closed printer.

What is the Price of the NextDent 5100?

The NextDent 5100 priced around $13,000 - 14,000 USD.

So it is not an economic printer, but not the most expensive either.

One thing to note is that the NextDent resins and resin trays are also in general more expensive than other printers.

NextDent 5100’s Build Platform Size

The build platform will fit at most 2-3 full arch models orientated direct to the print bed.

It is definitely more suited to smaller print jobs, such as 2-3 appliances/models at a time.

Total volume: 124.8 x 70.2 x 196 mmBuild plate area: 8,760 mm2

Is Setting Up the NextDent 5100 Easy?

Setting up the NextDent 5100 is straightforward. Follow the prompts to level the printer and it comes with a spirit level to help with this. 

Resins are scanned before printing with the printer barcode reader before use making sure you select the right resin for the print job sent. 

Connectivity of the NextDent 5100

The NextDent has only one way of being connected – an ethernet port.

This is not a big deal, but it does seem like this printer maybe better suited for a lab rather than a clinic.

These days most printers offer a range of options such as Wi-Fi or cloud-based connection. Not in this case.

On top of that, the other strange thing is that the software is licensed. You cannot install it freely on any computer. Rather, you pay a fee for each software license. 

NextDent 5100: Does it Have a Built-in Heater?

The NextDent 5100 has an internal heater which works well. No issues here and it heats up resins promptly.

Does the NextDent 5100 include Washing / Curing Machines?

NextDent does sell their own washing unit - NextDent Wash - and a curing box - LC-3DPrint Box.

However, it's not included in the NextDent 5100 3D printer package and is usually associated with their smaller, desktop 3D printer - LCD1.

NextDent 5100 - The Bottom Line

The NextDent 5100 was popular as it was one of the first printers to have FDA-approved denture resins and other prosthetic resins, however, these days in a more competitive market its facing stiffer competition.

There is no doubt this is an extremely fast and enjoyable printer to use. There is something special about being able to print a wax-up model in 15 minutes and this does open up workflows simply not possible with other printers, such as same-day smile design prints.

The drawbacks of this printer appear when you consider that the cost of it is quite significant and the resins as well are not cheap. Also, one thing we wish it had was cloud capabilities.

Although this is a completely closed printer, NextDent offers a large range of resins and some of them are arguably the best in the industry.

So even though this printer is over 5 years old now, if print speed is key for you, NextDent is hard to beat.