Manteca dentist 3D prints PPE for frontline workers
/When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the doors at Dr. Cajee’s private dental practice in Manteca, he could have gone home like many others dentist had. Instead, he turned his free time into a mission, serving San Joaquin County healthcare workers and beyond by 3D printing much-needed PPE equipment.
“The PPE shortages really hit home,” Dr. Cajee says. “We couldn’t get proper Level 3 or N95 masks in our dental practice. And I was shocked to learn that… early in the pandemic hospital and nursing home workers couldn’t get PPE either.”
Recognized in the top 10 percent of dental offices nationwide for technology, Dr. Cajee was already adept at using a 3D printer in his dental practice. With all of the necessary equipment at his fingertips, he didn’t hesitate to start creating the PPE equipment needed across the county. He named the organization PRINTtoPROTECT.
