The International Digital Dental Academy is a community of 13,000-plus digital dentists and technicians with 3D printing capabilities who believe many in the profession are perfectly placed to help produce parts using their 3D printers.
Leading the initiative, Professor Adam Nulty and Dr Dan Shaffer suggest the 3D printers sitting unused in dental and medical laboratories could be put to work to create essential designs.
There is a national network sharing the details of the designs required as well as to collect and distribute the finished parts to the hospitals where they are needed.
The International Digital Dental Academy website reads: 'We can help coordinate these dentists and technicians to improve the production capabilities of the UK and indeed foreign countries in an initiative to help the NHS/medical services in general to save lives with providing ventilators, incubators and general parts needed in the fight against Covid-19.
'We’ve had a few hundred responses from individuals and companies all ready to go and who have the combined power of printing thousands of parts per day.
'If you would like to join the initiative please know that your help will be directly saving lives and protecting front line healthcare workers from infection
'It is perfectly safe – you will be working in your own premises and be able to maintain your chosen level of production and isolation.'
Printable resin is supplied by Dental Directory and shipping costs are covered by the initiative organisers.
Any profits generated will go towards manufacturers of equipment in the initiative to cover costs of production and postage.
All expenditure will be transparent.
Any remaining profit once the COVID-19 crisis is over will go to LovingByGiving and Bridge2Aid.
Interested parties can join the Facebook group to receive information and share ideas.
Visit https://www.3dprintcovid19.com/ to register your interest in assisting the initiative.
For further information, email info@idda.org.