SUMMARY:
UCLA researchers in the department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have developed an antimicrobial and osteoinductive hydrogel used for dental implants.
BACKGROUND:
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), more than 5 million dental implants are performed each year in the United States. The leading cause of failure for these implants is peri-implantitis (PI), a destructive inflammatory process. Best estimates are that PI occurs in up to 87.5% of patients. PI occurs when bacterial biofilms build on the surface of the implants leading to inflammation and degeneration of the surrounding bone. Current treatments include the use of mechanical/surgical debridement, traditional antibiotics, and bone forming growth factors. However, these treatments are limited due to biofilm regrowth, ineffective antibiotics, and increased cancer prevalence respectively. Therefore, there is a clear need for a solution that can reduce the prevalence of PI in dental implants that can prevent biofilm formation and promote bone growth.
INNOVATION:
The present invention is a dental adhesive that provides a solution to the prevalence of PI by sealing the site of implantation. This device contains highly effective local antimicrobial agents that rarely lead to antibiotic resistance as well as a local bone growth factor, which minimize traditional side effects of global administration of antibiotics and growth factors while still remaining effective. The adhesive is also polymerized using common curing lights that are used by most dentists, which allow for safe biodegradation once the dental implant has fully healed.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
ADVANTAGES:
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: Physical product has been created and tested in animal models to demonstrate antimicrobial, bone growth and adhesive properties.
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