Extracted human teeth are very important for dental research. These teeth have allowed scientists to further their understanding of the human tooth and improve treatment outcomes. However, due to various concerns, there has recently been a push to find a substitute for extracted teeth. Now, a team of researchers have developed a new material that can mimic human teeth.
The use of extracted human teeth in dental research has been invaluable to scientists. They have helped scientists to carry out tasks like evaluating ceramic materials for a tooth’s crown restoration.
As these are exact human teeth, they are crucial for training and simulating real-life situations. However, due to concerns regarding Covid-19 and other issues, collecting extracted human teeth is becoming increasingly difficult.
Therefore, there has been a strong push for materials that could act as a substitute for extracted human teeth. Now, a team of researchers have been able to develop a new material that mimics a human tooth [1].
The Research
This research was carried out by a team across multiple institutions – including the University of Hong Kong, Wuhan University in China, and Drexel University in the United States [1].
The research team hoped to find dentine analog materials that could be a substitute for extracted human teeth in laboratory experiments and research.
Due to the very unique material of human teeth, it has proven very difficult in the past to mimic this in any way. But the research team sought to change this.
The team investigated various composite materials. They wanted to test these materials for their mechanical strength, indentation hardness, elastic modulus and fatigue behavior [1].
Moreover, fatigue behavior is especially important, as this tests how the material would cope under levels of stress – for instance, hard and soft foods.
Taking these areas into consideration, the researchers were able to craft a material to mimic natural teeth. They fabricated the new dentine analog materials and adhesively bonded them to lithium crowns [1].
Then, they analyzed how this material could be used in research. They found that the material was very effective – and was capable of simulating human teeth [1].
Similar stress levels and distributions between dentine and analog materials were found – underlining their effectiveness [1]. The research certainly proven successful.
Review of findings
The researchers were very pleased with the results. Creating a material like the natural tooth has proven difficult, so this is a positive step forward.
One of the researchers – Dr. James Tsoi – commented on the findings. He said that “this study evaluated the mechanical properties and fatigue behavior of dentine analog materials experimentally, analytically and numerically, and found a material with spectacular size and shape can reliably replace human dentine as the substrate in a ceramic crown fatigue test” [2].
Continuing, Tsoi is looking towards the future by saying “we hope this study can help researchers who are facing the problem of inadequate extracted human teeth and facilitate predictable laboratory research with the aid of dentine analog materials” [2].
These findings were certainly useful. There is the hope that this will enable a wider breadth of choices for research in the future, which will help to improve treatment outcomes in dentistry.
Thinking points…
[1] Ideally, we would all have healthy teeth that would never need to be extracted. One of the best ways of achieving this is to have excellent oral hygiene. An important aspect of this is to attend regular dental check-ups, as these can ensure any problems are spotted and acted upon. We recommend that you make an appointment soon!
[2] Further to the above, some people will inevitably need tooth extractions at some point. Tooth extractions can leave holes, which many people worry about. But implants are available, and they are capable of replicating human teeth. Here at our Calgary Dental Clinic Taradale Dental, we provide dental implant services. We would love to see you visit us soon – find out more about us at our website https://taradaledental.ca!
What we offer at Taradale Dental
Taradale Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provide its patients with a wide range of dental services and treatments to its patients.
It is very important to have excellent oral hygiene. This involves brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing regularly and eating healthily. Therefore, this should help your oral health.
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary dental clinic at least twice per year for a regular dental check-up. At these check-ups, we provide our patients with advice, and look for any problems. If problems are found, we have many treatments available. For example, these include cavity fillings and root canals.
Here at Taradale Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, teeth whitening and Invisalign™! Many people find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
Moreover, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Taradale Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide. This ensures transparent and fair pricing.
We hope to see you soon at our Taradale Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://taradaledental.ca.
References
[1] Chen, Y., Maghami, E., Bai, X., Huang, C., Ho Nang Pow, E., & Tsoi, J. K. H. (2023). Which dentine analogue material can replace human dentine for crown fatigue test?. Dental Materials. 39 (1): p86-100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2022.11.020.
[2] The University of Hong Kong. (2023). Researchers develop new material to replace extracted human teeth for dental research. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-material-human-teeth-dental.html. Last accessed: 11th March 2023.
