•New

Until recently, this was inconceivable, because dental implants used to be attached to the jawbone with a metal screw, which meant that recovery took from two to four months.The first bioactive dental implant, designed and patented by the Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Research Group (UPC-Klockner Implants Chair), contributed to this technological advance.

The titanium implant has an apatite surface (calcium phosphate with a mineral content identical to that of human bone), which causes the rapid adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblasts and the rapid formation of bone tissue (a process known as osseointegration). As a result, the fixation of the implant takes just seven days. ‘It is a biomimetic implant capable of interacting with a living organism’, explained researcher Xavier Gil.

The integration of the titanium implant in the tissue is so precise that it does not leave any space for possible infections. This new kind of dental implant allows implants to be used in patients with bone deficiency, diabetes or low bone metabolism, as well as in elderly people.

It also opens up the possibility of introducing controlled medication or proteins to enhance bone regeneration. It may also be very effective in dealing with problems related to oral cancer or bone-formation disorders. The exploitation of this patent will make Spain the first country to produce bioactive dental implants.

This project is a tangible realisation of one of the guiding principles of the UPC-Klockner Implants Chair: helping surgeons and dental technicians provide definitive solutions for patients with dental problems.