3D-Printed Dental Plug to Preserve Bone after a Tooth Extraction

Dental implant-supported prostheses are gaining popularity as the treatment of choice for tooth replacement, providing stable support for artificial teeth by fusing to the jawbone. The long-term success of dental implants depends on how well they are supported by the bone in the jaw ridge.

After a tooth is extracted, the socket where the tooth used to be usually heals naturally with bone tissues in one to two months. As healing occurs, the tissue shrinks, resulting in the jaw ridge becoming shorter and narrower. This process is called resorption. If resorption is significant, surgery is needed to build up the bone before a dental implant can be placed. This procedure is complicated, expensive, and invasive.

Our team is proposing the use of a new 3D-printed polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) dental plug to preserve the bone in the jaw ridge. Encouraging data in our initial research and studies have merited us an approval to conduct a Phase III clinical study with the intention of bringing this dental plug and its benefits to the market. 

Why is this study needed?

Our vision is to translate research from scientific discoveries to solutions that improve health.

• After a tooth is extracted, the volume of the bone in the jaw needs to be maintained to provide favourable conditions for placement of a dental implant
• This new 3D-printed PCL-TCP dental plug could be a better solution for the preservation of the jaw ridge, compared to current solutions
• The goal of this study is to reduce the number of surgeries, total treatment and recovery time as well as post-operative complications resulting from dental implant treatment
• This prefabricated bioresorbable dental plug is 3D-printed and designed to allow the dentist to shape it to fit the size and shape of each individual tooth socket.