A technological advancement that may prove crucial in the long-term success of dental implants has been developed by University of Queensland researchers.

Dr Karan Gulati, NHMRC Early Career Fellow from theUQ School of Dentistry, said modifying dental implants with nanopores will help protect against one of the leading causes of implant failure.

Poor integration between the implant and the surrounding tissue is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure, Dr Gulati said.

If the sealing between the implant and the surrounding gum tissue fails, it can result in bacteria entering the implant and causing infection.

Our simple solution is the fabrication of nanoporeswhich are tiny nano-scale holes of just 40 to 80 nanometres in diameterto cover the entire surface of the implant.

Dr Gulati and colleaguestheir proof of concept study is published inMaterials Science and Engineering: Cfound that soft-tissue cells attach well onto the nanopores, resulting in better soft-tissue seal formation.

We can also control the cell functions to achieve a more enhanced soft-tissue integration, he said.

Dr Gulati is hopeful that human trials will begin next year.

We have optimised the protocols and the therapies, now we are ready to turn the research into reality, he said.

This article was sourced from the UQ School of Dentistry news website.

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Advanced nanotechnology used to improve success of dental implants - Bite magazine