Get the latest tech news
Bioengineered tooth "grows" in place to look and feel like the real thing | This "smart" implant grows new tissue and forms connections to existing nerves
Dental implants look the part, but by design they can't replace actual teeth. Now scientists have developed an innovative new implant that "grows" into the gum and fuses with existing nerves to mimic the form and function of a real tooth. What's more, they're easier and gentler to put in place,…
“Natural teeth connect to the jawbone through soft tissue rich in nerves, which help sense pressure and texture and guide how we chew and speak," said senior author Jake Jinkun Chen, professor of periodontology at the School of Dental Medicine. While they're meant for long-term tooth replacement, the surgery can result in local trauma – such as severed or damaged nerves – and will always feel like a foreign object compared to natural teeth. And this new technology doesn't require the same challenging surgical procedure; instead, the implant, at first smaller than the tooth it's replacing, has a layer of rubber nanofibers that expand as the coat biodegrades, securing it in the soft tissue that lines the socket, not the bone.
Or read this on r/tech
