Nano-engineered dental implants

The complications and high costs associated with dental implants could be a thing of the past as Griffith University research aims to reduce the associated risks of infection using new cutting edge nanotechnology.

The study is being led by post-doctoral researcher Dr Karan Gulati from the university's School of Dentistry and Oral Health/Menzies Health Institute Queensland, who recently presented his research at the Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference at the QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise. Early stage nanotechnology techniques in animal studies are now showing promise in allowing faster integration of an implant in order to prevent bacteria from setting in. "The technology I am using enables me to nano-engineer the surface of commercially established implants with nanotubes, which can later be loaded with drugs such as antibiotics or proteins for maximised therapeutic effect," Dr Gulati said. "When these are inserted into the patient's jaw, they improve soft- and hard-tissue integration and therefore dramatically decrease the likelihood of oral microbes being able to enter the tissue. Based on the initial results, we expect to achieve early implant stability and long-term success of such therapeutic dental implants." The ground-breaking work is still in the very early stages, however clinical trials are planned to commence in 2017.