The Israeli company Datum Dental has received approval to launch a biomaterial for dental implants in Europe and Canada.
Datum Dental has developed a biomaterial specifically designed to help the body regenerate real bone tissue after dental operations. Launched in the US last year, the biomaterial has now received CE marking in Europe and approval from Health Canada.
The biomaterial, called Ossix Bone, is made of a network of collagen and hydroxyapatite held together through a chemical reaction with sugars. This replicates the natural glycation process for the formation of collagen-containing tissues such as bone, cartilage, skin, and blood vessels. The resulting biomaterial provides a three-dimensional environment that mimics the spongy structure of bones, allowing the growth of bone tissue and its vascularization. As new tissue grows, the material biodegrades and eventually disappears, leaving only the new bone.
According to Datum Dental, the biggest advantages of this product over conventional grafting materials is that it can help recover more bone tissue, it reduces the risk of the graft moving after implantation, and leaves no remnants behind.
The capacity of bone to regenerate naturally is limited, but with the help of biotechnology we could start ditching metal implants in favor of solutions that can regrow real tissue. At King’s College London, researchers are investigating a drug that can stimulate stem cells within the teeth to fill cavities naturally. Also in the UK, the company BioMin Technologies is developing a biomaterial that releases molecules to stimulate the repair of enamel.
Images via Shutterstock; Datum Dental