Realising how expensive dental implants can be, ranging from Bt50,000 to Bt100,000, the Advanced Dental Technology Centre (Adtec) at the National Science and Technology Development Agency has initiated a project to develop dental implants for local use.

The centre is working with researchers from the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (Mtec), Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University and Chiang Mai University.

The centre's director, Wichit Tharanon, said the project would develop local materials for dental implants to give patients cheaper access to dental treatment. The project also includes the development of software and a navigation system to facilitate the implant process.

The project has received Bt22 million to conduct research over two years.

Wichit said the project started a year ago and the team has been successful in developing a prototype implant material, which includes the anchor and the abutment.

The anchor is a screw-like piece of metal that can be implanted inside the patient's jaw. It is a foundation for the implant. The abutment, a small piece of metal, is used to connect the anchors to which the prosthetic teeth are to be attached.

The team uses titanium, a type of alloy, to make the implant. Titanium, according to Wichit, is a material that can be implanted inside the human body without causing any harm, as has been proved in medical research. He added that the team had also conducted a lab test on the metal's toxicity. It's now in the process of being tested on animals.

"We hope to begin clinical trials on humans by the end of the year," he said.

To conduct the test on humans needs the approval of the Ethical Committee for Human Research. The clinical trial is expected to take about a year, as the dental-implant process requires at least six months. The centre plans trial on 50 patients.

A dental implant is an alternative for patients who don't want to use dentures when their teeth are removed. Dental implants are more comfortable than dentures and give the patient greater confidence.

Three processes are involved in making the implant. The first is surgery to place the anchor inside the jaw and this step takes time, up to six months, to have the jawbone grow tightly around the anchor and hold the anchor firmly in place.

The second process is to connect the abutment to the anchor. Patients require surgery once more and a few weeks are needed to heal the gum before attaching the prosthetic teeth.

As the dental implant takes time, treatment costs are high. Wichit said the team hoped that local development would reduce the treatment cost by 50 per cent and importantly, reduce the need for imported materials.

To make the implant process more efficient, Wichit said the team was developing analysis software to help oral surgeons plan the implantation. Normally, surgeons use their expertise to place the anchor, and many times errors have occurred. The director said the software would help the surgeons calculate a suitable position to place the anchor.

A navigation system is also being developed to enable surgeons to make a more accurate implant. About 50 per cent of the development of the two systems has been completed and the team expects to complete the rest next year.

"We hope the development will be of real use in the commercial market in a few years," Wichit said.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation