Patent Future: LIPUS ultrasound re-grows tooth roots

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by: Dan Daniels
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Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 Time: 10:29 AM
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Dr. Tarek El-Bialy, Associate Professor in Medicine and Dentistry, at the University of Alberta, is researching new applications of ultrasound in treatment of tooth root resorption and tissue engineering. Through using ultrasound to stimulate jaw bone formation and healing in rabbits, Dr. El-Bialy realized that the ultrasound waves also promote new tooth growth.

Ultrasound restores tooth root damage from braces

People who have misaligned or crowded teeth often use orthodontic braces to realign or straighten their teeth for proper bite. The orthodontic braces range from metal to clear plastic aligners. There are different brands of brace, such as the Invisalign, Damon, and lingual STb braces, designed to correct certain misaligned or improper bite conditions while simultaneously appearing "invisible".

Research suggests that during re-aligning and forcing the teeth to move and straighten, certain braces can cause root damage. Dr. El-Bialy's studies have focused on using ultrasound on people wearing braces to prevent tooth root damage. The findings reveal that ultrasound stimulates tissue and root growth inside teeth, but cannot restore enamel.

Use of Ultrasound in Dentistry

Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure that resonates above human hearing of 20kHz limit. Ultrasound devices focus this energy and are used in various fields, including dentistry for diagnosing conditions such as oral cancer, for treating cancer and also in oral hygiene for teeth cleaning. Ultrasound has recently played a greater role in endodontics and orthodontics, such as in shaping the root canal prior to obturation and accelerating treatment for malocclusion.

Designing new LIPUS Ultrasound for Dentistry and Medicine

During the study of patients with orthodontic braces done by Dr. El-Bialy, the ultrasound machine had to be positioned in the patient's mouth, and the largeness of the ultrasound machine was a challenge. Therefore, Dr. El-Bialy teamed up with the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), to design and produce a smaller ultrasound machine for the purpose of fitting into a human mouth.

Currently the University of Alberta team are designing a low-intensity pulsed ultrasound about a centimetre in length and powered by battery called LIPUS. Their idea in patenting this device is that it can not only be used to attach braces and crowns that protect tooth roots, but also that the machine can be used for other medical purposes, such as to stimulate stem cell growth for healing in different diseases, and also to be placed inside bandages to heal fractured bones. The team foresee that LIPUS ultrasound device will be available for use by 2012.

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