Dr. Marco Bottino is a dentist and a material scientist. He hopes to bridge the gap between biomaterials development and their clinical application. (Photo courtesy of Indiana University)

2013-9-24 | News Americas

INDIANAPOLIS, USA: Researchers at the Indiana University School of Dentistry are currently working on new biomaterials that will help regenerate tissue destroyed by periodontitis. Within the next five years, they hope to introduce these materials into clinical practice to help patients retain their teeth and to avoid dental implants or other restorative treatment.

"Currently, dentistry does not have a single implantable biomaterial that can consistently guide the coordinated growth and development of multiple tissue types, especially in very large periodontal defects," explained Dr. Marco Bottino, lead researcher and assistant professor at the university's Department of Restorative Dentistry.

In order to generate different kinds of tissue, the researchers will be coupling bioactive molecules with laboratory-made nanofibers to produce a multilayer, paperlike membrane that can be placed into tissue damaged by periodontitis. The membrane will degrade over time, releasing different kinds of molecules to promote the formation of hard and soft tissue in a patient's mouth.

In addition to evaluating the efficiency of these materials, Bottino hopes that clinical trials will start within three to five years.

The research is being funded by a $715,525 grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

According to a study published about a year ago by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 2 U.S. adults over 30 have some form of periodontal disease. An estimated 65 million U.S. adults (47 percent) have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis. In adults 65 and older, prevalence rates increase to 70 percent.