Elderly, people with osteoporosis, smokers, diabetics or people who have suffered from cancer
sometimes cannot choose to get a dental implant.
Their bones have lost their ability to integrate adequately the new prosthesis that replaces the root.
The coating of these implants -using a new biodegradable material-
developed by researchers from the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló and the Universidad del País Vasco,
will allow to do dental implants in people with osseous deficits.
Moreover, the new formula increases the biocompatibility of the implants
and reduces the integration time in the bone.
-We insert a coating to the dental implants, a biodegradable coating,
whose objective is that, during the degradation,
[Ane Larrea. Polymers and Advanced Materials Research Group]
there is a better bonding between the implant and the bone.
-This line of research is totally innovative in relation to the systems used so far
and offers numerous advantages.
-What we are aiming for is to reduce the osseointegration time,
that is to say, that we can fit the dental crown earlier than usual
and people may return to their ordinary life.
[Sara Da Silva. Polymers and Advanced Materials Research Group]
Moreover, in the case of people with insufficient bone regeneration -such as elderly or smokers-,
will have better access to this type of treatments.
-Soldent is a collaborative project between university and business
developed in the framework of the program IMPACTO.
-Based on the needs that companies linked to the health sector
detect in patients to whom they offer their services,
[Julio José Suay.Polymers and Advanced Materials Research Group]
and on the own ideas of the companies,
the research developed by universities and research centers is redirected.
From this collaboration university-company, new developments appear.
Often they achieve disruptive innovations, that is, great innovations
which do not exist in the market and favour new businesses.
-In the Soldent project, universities work in conjunction with the company Ilerimplant
to develop this competitive prototype.
Having proven the effectiveness of the new implants on animals,
they will perform the clinical evaluation in order to bring them onto the market
in the term of two or three years.
Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit
Communication and Publications Service