A dispatch from the dark cyberpunk future

Went to the dentist Thursday to get a crown replaced. The dentist waved a 3d scanning wand thing around the tooth gap for a while, then used a Tooth CAD system to design a new crown - he traced the outside circumference of the tooth where it would meet the crown, and then the software suggested a generic bicuspid shape, which he adjusted a bit with push/pull sculpt tools that behaved identically to any other 3D modeling software. Then he sent the file to a machine in the next room, which 3D printed a new tooth for me out of porcelain composite.

The dentist has a TOOTH PRINTER. That printed a TOOTH. That's in my mouth RIGHT NOW. For BITING THINGS.

Finally, we get one of the nice parts of the cyberpunk future: replacement body parts made while you wait. They even let you watch, and I am delighted to announce that like many other things from the cyberpunk future, the tooth printer glows blue for no reason whatsoever.



Now, if only we could get fewer deeply unpleasant dispatches from the cyberpunk future.


(I could get into so much trouble with a tooth printer. So many things need realistic and functional human teeth. Coffee mugs. Teddy bears. Bananas. Precious Moments figurines. Alas, I don't think he'd let me borrow it.)