Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Looking forward: the dental implantology of tomorrow By Arun Garg, DMD Research & Events DENTAL TRIBUNE | July 20116A could yield a shorter peril-implant period and better overall outcomes. Elsewhere in dentistry, nano- technology may be the solution to widespread oral issues such as dentine hypersensitivity and perio- dontitis, with novel approaches to the interception of pain recep- tors and the assessment of dentin tubules as well as the application of antimicrobial compounds at the precise local microenvironment. Growing dental implants with stem cells The debate over the use of stem cells remains somewhat contro- versial; still, their application in the medical and dental sciences is evolving and holds tremendous promise for the future of biotech- nology and, for this reason, stem cells are of special import. Dr. Jeremy Mao and fellow scientists at Columbia University are particu- larly interested in growing teeth, which might one day make the traditional metal-based implants obsolete. Mao designed an experiment using growth factors, a tooth-shaped scaffold and stem cells to see if tooth regeneration was possible with only the raw materials. In fact, results were positive and de novo alveolar bone was present with evidence of neovascularization and mineraliza- tion at the scaffold.2 All told, there are great things on the horizon for the future of implant dentistry. What will and won’t change the mainstay of functional restoration for edentulous patients remains to be seen, though these Technology promises to be the driver of medical and dental advances in the years to come. New imaging modalities, better diag- nostic and therapeutic strategies and even improvements in data storage and the implementation of electronic medical records are all changing health-care delivery as we know it. Beyond novel ultrasonic scaling devices and cone-beam computed tomography, however, lies the next phase of implant technology, pio- neered by scientists in a lab work- ing on what once might have been described as science fiction. Their use in modern implant dentistry is not too far off. Here’s what lies ahead … New drug slows alveolar bone loss in the jaw A 2010 New England Journal of Medicine article highlighted a novel approach to alveolar bone loss seen in patients with chronic, severe periodontitis.1 Teriparatide — a parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog and a drug more commonly used in the treatment of osteoporo- sis — used daily for six weeks was shown to increase alveolar bone volume, strength and density. The drug mimics PTH; that is, it stimu- lates osteoblasts that will elicit an osteoclastic differentiation lead- ing to further bone turnover and remodeling with an end result of increased bone mineral density and bone mass. The drug had already been shown to decrease fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The impact of this type of dis- covery on the world of dental implants is not small: that it might be used to enhance osseointegra- tion and reduce failure rates or reduce recovery time or even, per- haps, make implants available to those who might otherwise not be thought of as good potential can- didates for the therapy are all con- cepts for further study. Nanodentistry Nanotechnology is the science of small: the study of matter and its application on scales of one bil- lionth of a meter. It is what has allowed for the development and use of smaller and smaller cellular phones and computer processors; items that were once the size of a room now discretely fit into a shirt pocket. Nanodentistry has its prom- ises as well. On the nanoscale, drug delivery is a very different concept; coatings are particularly relevant and tissue engineering can occur at the level of an individual’s DNA. Some scien- tists have heralded nanodentistry as the opportunity for individuals to achieve near-perfect oral health. Indeed, implant experts are par- ticularly interested in what is to come in this field as it pertains to improved osseointegration of implants with various new surface technologies and impregnation of growth factors and mineral pro- teins at the level of the implant itself. The modification of osteo- phyllic and osteoconductive phases concepts certainly hold tremen- dous opportunity to modernize cur- rent dental care. DT References 1. Bashutski JD, Eber RM, Kinney JS, Benavides E, Maitra S, Braun TM, Giannobile WV, McCauley LK. Teriparatide and osseous regeneration in the oral cavity. New England Journal of Medi- cine. 2010;363(25):2396–2404. 2. Kim K, Lee CH, Kim BK, Mao JJ. Anatomically shaped tooth and periodontal regeneration by cell homing. Journal of Dental Research. 2010;89(8):842–847. (Images/Provided by the ADIA) ‘Dental Spouse Business Network Roundtable’ added to AADOM pre-conference the discussion. I anticipate that this year’s meeting will be just as produc- tive,” Lutz said. AADOM’s 7th Annual Conference will be held Sept. 8–10 in Nash- ville, Tenn. The 4th Annual Dental Spouse Business Roundtable course will be held on Sept. 7, prior to the conference. Registration information and course specifics can be found online at www.dentalmanagers. com/dentalspouse. About AADOM The American Association of Dental Office Managers is an organization of professional office managers, practice administrators, patient coor- dinators, insurance and financial The American Association of Den- tal Office Managers (AADOM) is pleased to announce the 4th Annual Dental Spouse Business Network (DSBN) Roundtable. The DSBN was created by AADOM to address the specific needs and challenges of office managers whose spouses are the dentist in the practice. This popular event has filled a need for this group of dental office managers. The requests for this group began years ago, and AADOM has listened by continuing this tradition at every annual conference. Dental spouses attending the AADOM conference are invited to attend the event, but registration is necessary. The gathering will take place at the annual conference and is expected to draw increased atten- dance. Pat Lutz, AADOM member and the office manager of her husband’s practice said, “AADOM provides a way for other office manager spous- es to network and discuss situations in a safe environment. It’s great to know that other spouses are there to collaborate on ways to make your practice better.” Some topics for DSBN this year include team morale, separating home and work life busi- ness and establishment of boundar- ies with the team and the spouse. “Last year’s group was particular- ly cohesive; some participants kept in touch with each other to continue coordinators and treatment coordi- nators of general and specialized dental practices. The largest associa- tion of its kind, the organization’s mission is to provide its members with networking, resources and edu- cation to help them achieve the high- est level of professional develop- ment. For more information, please call (732) 842-9977 or e-mail info@ dentalmanagers.com. DT (Image/Provided by the AADOM)