3 News 2/18 3-D printed and drug filled dentures can now keep infections away Arany, DDS, PhD, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor in the Department of Oral Biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine. “The clinicians technology to rapidly allows create susceptible those highly to infection, such as the elderly, hospitalized or disabled patients,” he says. The biomaterials market – worth more than $66 billion in 2015 – is expected to dental material could effectively release antifungal medication. To test the strength of the teeth, researchers used a flexural strength testing machine to bend the dentures and discover their breaking points. A conventional lab-fabricated denture was used as a control. Although the flexural strength of the 3-D printed dentures was 35 percent less than that of the conventional pair, the printed teeth never fractured. fibers and carbon nanotubes, and focus on denture relining – the readjustment of dentures to maintain proper fit. lead authors Chinnici, Investigators include Arany, Alexander Sikora and Malvika Nagrath, and graduate students in the School of Dental Medicine; Jacob Graca, undergraduate student in the UB College of Arts and Sciences; Jennifer research technician in the UB Microbiome Center; Sasikumar Ponnusamy, PhD, and Saeed Ur Rahman, PhD, postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Oral Biology; Sharaschandra Reddy, graduate student in the School of Dental Medicine; and Abhiram Maddi, DDS, PhD, assistant professor in the UB Department of Periodontics and Endodontics. To the examine team agent release in the printed of medication filled the dentures, into the antifungal biodegradable, permeable microspheres. The microspheres protect the drug during the heat printing process, and allow the release of medication as they gradually degrade. by DT SEA, Niranjan Prabhakar BUFFALO, N.Y. – Statistically speaking, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. denture-wearing population frequent fungal infections leading to denture stomatitis. Seen with typical inflammation, redness and swelling in the mouth. suffer To better treat these infections, called denture-related stomatitis, University at Buffalo researchers have turned to 3-D printers, using the machines to build dentures filled with microscopic capsules that periodically release Amphotericin B, an antifungal medication. A study describing the work, recently published in Materials Today Communications, found that the drug-filled dentures can reduce fungal growth. Unlike current treatment options, such as antiseptic mouthwashes, baking soda and microwave disinfection, the new development can also help prevent infection while the dentures are in use. “The major impact of this innovative 3-D printing system is its potential impact on saving cost and time,” says Praveen The 3-D printed dentures, made of acrylamide, can help fight off denture related infections. Picture courtesy: University at Buffalo, New York dentures customized chair- side, a vast improvement over conventional manufacturing that can vary from a few days to weeks”, says Arany. from Applications this research, says Arany, could be applied to various other clinical therapies, splints, stents, casts and prosthesis. including “The antifungal application could prove invaluable among grow 14 percent by 2020. A large part of the industry is focused on dental polymers, particularly the fabrication of dentures. UB researchers printed their dentures with acrylamide, the current go-to material for denture fabrication. The study sought to determine if these dentures maintained strength of conventional dentures and if the the Source : University at Buffalo http://www.buffalo.edu/news/ releases/2018/04/041.html The investigation involved the development of an innovative form of acrylamide designed to carry antifungal payloads and a novel syringe pump system to combine the dental polymer and microspheres during the printing process. Future research aims to reinforce the mechanical strength of 3-D printed dentures with glass Fluoride varnish application aids in the prevention and progression of caries in children by Dental Tribune International in caries COLOGNE, Germany: Whereas adults and adolescents in Germany is declining, research has found that about 14 percent of 3-year-olds in the country have cavities in their primary dentition. According to a report by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), fluoride varnish is remineralisation effective of the surface and prevents the development and progression of caries. in tooth Permanent teeth may be affected by caries at an early stage in the case of caries-affected primary teeth, as the enamel has not yet fully hardened. Because oral hygiene and caries prevention can be challenging application in young children, the use of fluoride varnish can be beneficial. For this reason, the IQWiG researchers investigated whether the of fluoride varnish to primary dentition has advantages in comparison with standard care without fluoride application by comparing the findings of randomised controlled trials. In these, a total of 5,002 children were treated with fluoride varnish, and 4,705 children received no such treatment, being the control group. Children aged up to 6 years with or without caries of their primary teeth were included in the research. 15 In several of the studies, further measures for caries prevention in addition to the application of fluoride varnish were offered. These training on oral hygiene, instruction on the included correct tooth brushing technique, and the provision of toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste. The follow-up observation period was mostly two years. further The development of caries was investigated in all 15 studies; side-effects were investigated in nearly all of the studies. However, owing to a lack of conclusive data, it is unclear whether fluoride application also has advantages regarding patient- relevant outcomes, such as tooth preservation, toothache or dental abscesses. There was no data on oral health-related quality of life. A clear advantage of fluoride varnish was determined despite the very heterogeneous study the application results. After of fluoride varnish, caries in primary teeth was less frequent. the fluoride More precisely, treatment completely could prevent caries in approximately every tenth child and would at least reduce progression of caries in further children. Apparently, whether the children already had caries or whether their teeth were completely intact made no difference regarding the benefit of fluoride varnish application. The report titled, “Assessment of the application of fluoride varnish on milk teeth to prevent the development and progression of initial caries or new carious lesions”, was published online by IQWiG on 26 April 2018. Fluoride varnish application prevents the development and progression of caries, according to a study. Picture Courtesy: Dr. Niranjan Prabhakar