It’s Thursday afternoon, you’ve got three model print jobs queued for tomorrow morning, and the resin bottle you reach for is empty. Your usual supplier is backordered for two weeks. Sound familiar?
This happens to every dental lab eventually — a supply hiccup, a discontinued shade, a distributor delay. The good news: in DLP and LCD dental 3D printing, very few resins are truly irreplaceable. Most model, guide, tray, and denture resins have a direct equivalent from another brand that will print on the same machine with comparable accuracy.
This guide is your resin substitution cheat sheet — organized by clinical application, not by brand, so you can find a working alternative in the time it takes to read a product label.
The Two Rules of Resin Substitution
Before you swap anything, check two things:
- Match the application, not just the category. “Model resin” and “model resin” sound interchangeable, but a study model resin (opaque, low shrinkage, built for hand articulation) is not the same as a diagnostic try-in resin (built to hold thin, removable sections without fracturing). Always substitute within the same clinical use case.
- Know your printer’s material system. Asiga printers ship as an open material system — they’ll run resin from Asiga, TopCore, Detax, Dentona, Bego, and Saremco without restriction, provided the correct exposure profile is loaded. If you’re on a closed-system printer, check with your equipment vendor before substituting a third-party resin.
Once those two boxes are checked, the matrix below will get you printing again.
Model & Study Resins
This is the highest-volume category in any lab, and it’s also where you have the most substitution room.
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaMODEL | $128 | The category benchmark — dimensionally stable, ivory shade, fast layer cure |
| TopCore | Model PRO | $110 | Our closest match to DentaMODEL — same accuracy class, same handling, priced to compete |
| TopCore | Model ECO | $65 | Budget-friendly line for high-volume day-to-day models — roughly half the cost per bottle of DentaMODEL |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Model 2.0 | $165 | Premium finish, popular for models that need extra edge definition |
| Dentona | Optiprint Model | $169 | Golden-brown, wear-resistant — closest handling to classic plaster |
| Dentona | Optiprint Model, 5 kg | $698 | Bulk format for high-throughput labs — lowest per-liter cost in the category |
| Asiga | DentaSTUDY | $155 | Orthodontic study models, articulation-ready |
| Dentona | Optiprint Match | $150 | Direct substitute for DentaSTUDY in ortho workflows |
| FunToDo | Dentifix-3D Modelling HR | $80 | High-resolution alternative for fine detail models |
If you print a lot of models, this is where TopCore pays for itself. TopCore Model PRO holds the same tolerances labs expect from DentaMODEL, and Model ECO is one of the most cost-effective model resins we carry — worth stocking as your default even when Asiga resin is in stock.
Try-In & Diagnostic Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaTRY | $155–$175 | Purpose-built for prototypes and try-ins with removable parts |
No direct third-party equivalent in our catalog yet — DentaTRY remains the standard here.
Surgical Guide Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaGUIDE | $155 | Biocompatible, rigid — the reference guide resin |
| Dentona | Optiprint Guide 385 | $175 | Clear-transparent, comparable rigidity for implant guides |
Custom Tray Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaTRAY | $155 | Standard for custom impression trays |
| Dentona | Optiprint Tray 385 | $159 | Orange-transparent, direct equivalent |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Tray | $239 | Higher rigidity option when available |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Tray 2.0 | $239 | Current-generation replacement for FREEPRINT Tray |
Splints, Night Guards & Orthodontic Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detax | FREEPRINT splint 2.0 | $309 | Category standard for occlusal splints and night guards |
| Detax | FREEPRINT splintmaster Flex | $429 | Flexible formulation for retainers and softer appliances |
| Detax | FREEPRINT splintmaster Taff | $399 | Rigid formulation — check back for restock |
| Detax | FREEPRINT ortho | $309 | Purpose-built for orthodontic appliances and aligner components |
Bite Registration (IBT) Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaIBT | $155 | Standard bite registration resin |
| Detax | FREEPRINT IBT | $289 | Direct equivalent, higher price point |
Denture Bases, Teeth & Gingiva Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaBASE | $250 | Denture base resin |
| Asiga | DentaTOOTH | $250-$350 | Denture teeth resin, multiple shades |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Denture | $345 | Full denture equivalent to DentaBASE + DentaTOOTH combined workflow |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Denture Flex | $799 | Flexible partial denture option |
| Asiga | DentaGUM | $155 | Gingiva / soft-tissue masking resin |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Gingiva | $99–$199 | Direct substitute for DentaGUM |
| Dentona | Optiprint Gingiva | $139 | Third option in the same category |
Casting & Burnout (Wax Pattern) Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiga | DentaCAST | $175 | Standard clean-burnout casting resin |
| Asiga | SuperCAST V3 / S / X / HD | $220–$355 | Higher-precision casting line for crown & bridge frameworks |
| Asiga | SuperWAX V2 | $255–$355 | For wax cartridge / residual combustible casting technique |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Cast 2.0 | $89–$179 | Budget alternative when back in stock |
| Dentona | Optiprint Cast NF | $129–$219 | No-flame burnout option |
Temporary Crown & Bridge Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detax | FREEPRINT Temp | $219-$429 | Class IIa certified, 3 shades |
| Bego | VarseoSmile Temp | $157 | Most affordable temporary crown resin in the catalog |
| Dentona | Optiprint Lumina | $149–$269 | Multi-shade temporary/interim option |
| Dentona | Optiprint Interim | $229 | Alternative interim line |
Permanent Crown & Restoration Resins
| Brand | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bego | VarseoSmile Crown plus | $299 | The only ceramic-filled hybrid resin in our catalog rated for permanent single crowns, inlays, onlays, and veneers |
| Saremco | Crowntec | $585 | Premium permanent restoration resin |
| Detax | FREEPRINT Crown | $699 | Highest price point, positioned for high-end permanent work |
There’s no low-cost substitute in this category — permanent restorations are a place where you shouldn’t cut corners on material class regardless of budget.
How to Use This Matrix When You’re Out of Stock
- Find your resin’s application row above.
- Pick the substitute closest in price and shade to what you’d normally order.
- Download or request the exposure profile for your specific printer (Asiga Composer users can typically find profiles pre-loaded or available from the resin manufacturer).
- Run a small test print before committing a full case load — cure times differ even between resins in the same category.
FAQ
Can I mix resins in the same vat? No — always flush and clean the build tray and vat before switching resin brands, even within the same category.
Will switching resin brands void my printer warranty? Not on an open-material-system printer like Asiga. Closed-system printers may restrict third-party resin — check your equipment documentation.
Is TopCore made to the same standard as Asiga resin? Yes. TopCore Model PRO and Model ECO are manufactured to match the accuracy and handling of the model resins labs already trust — at a lower price point, which is exactly why we carry it as our house alternative.
Related Reading
Our Complete Guide to Dental 3D Printing Resins describes in detail different applications and compatible resins & technologies.
Don’t see your exact resin in this matrix, or not sure which substitute fits your case? Contact our team — we’ll match you with the right resin for your printer and application, usually same-day.