According to foreign media New Atlas, although dental implants are indeed a long-term alternative to dentures, if chronic gum infections occur, they may need to be replaced by surgery. Therefore, scientists are working on a better implant that can generate electricity through oral movements.
At present, the assistant professor Geelsu Hwang of Pennsylvania State University and his colleagues are developing this kind of implant, which consists of a natural-looking dental implant itself (dental crown). The ring surrounds the near-infrared micro LED of its exposed base. The bottom protrudes from the bottom of the crown and is fixed on the patient's jaw with screws.
The crown is made of dental resin combined with nanoparticles of an inorganic compound called barium titanate. The latter is a piezoelectric material, which means that it generates an electric charge in response to mechanical stress.
Researchers hope that actions such as chewing are sufficient to generate an electric charge and store it in the battery. The battery will then periodically power the micro LEDs so that they can illuminate the surrounding gum tissue. Previous studies have shown that this therapeutic light exposure, so-called phototherapy, can help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing of gum tissue damaged by infection.
In addition, the team’s laboratory tests showed that the negative surface charge of the barium titanate particles repels the negatively charged cell wall of oral Streptococcus mutans. This means that these bacteria should not adhere to the crown and form the biofilm of dental plaque as we know it-thus reducing the possibility of infection in the first place.
The researchers claimed that this resin/nanoparticle composite material maintained the piezoelectric effect during multiple tests. It also provides mechanical strength similar to that of existing dental composites. In addition, the barium titanate nanoparticles will not leach from it and will not harm healthy gum tissue.
"We hope to further develop this implant system and finally see its commercialization so that it can be used in the dental field," Hwang said. This research is described in a paper recently published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interface.
