3D Printed Dentures Bite Back at Infection
Orange County, CA - May 1st, 2018 - With the advances in 3D printing technology, researchers at the University of Buffalo (UB) discovered a way to 3D print a set of dentures that contain an infection combating drug. The dentures release the drug slowly over time, which treats the infection before it’s known you have one.
Two-thirds of people in the United States who wear dentures experience fungal infections, which lead to pain and inflammation. There are ways to disinfect dentures like microwave disinfection, baking soda or an antiseptic mouthwash; however, they don’t prevent infection while the dentures are worn during the day.
In order for the slow drug release in the dentures, researchers blended acrylamide (the go-to material used to make dentures) and the antifungal drug Amphotericin B into a microscopic capsule. During the printing process, the micro-capsules protect the drug during the heat as they gradually degrade.
The 3D printed teeth can be customized within hours versus the conventional dentures that can take weeks to make. “The technology allows clinicians to rapidly create customized dentures chair-side, a vast improvement over conventional manufacturing that can vary from a few days to weeks,” said Praveen Arany the assistant professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the UB School of Dental Medicine.
Researchers used a flexural strength testing machine to test the strength of the dentures with a conventional lab-fabricated denture. The machine bends the teeth to find its breaking points. The result is the printed dentures are not as strong as the conventional pair.
Upcoming research will target ways to reinforce the mechanical strength of the 3D dentures, such as carbon nanotubes and glass fibers. The research will also focus on denture re-lining, which reshapes the underside of the denture to sustain the right fit. This new technology may lead to other medicine-filled devices such as stents, casts, splints, and prostheses. “The antifungal application could prove invaluable among those highly susceptible to infection, such as the elderly, hospitalized or disabled patients,” said Arany.
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3D Printed Dentures Bite Back at Infection Orange County, CA – May 1st, 2018 – With the advances in 3D printing technology, researchers at the University of Buffalo (UB) discovered a way to 3D print a set of dentures that contain an infection combating drug. The dentures release the drug slowly over time, which treats the infection […]