Dentistry-engineering collaboration creates new bone regenerating material
A long-running collaboration between dentistry and engineering researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago has resulted in the development of a thin membrane that can regrow bone, promote healing and protect against infection.
Dr. Cortino Sukotjo and Christos Takoudis led the work and they describe their discovery in a new Bioactive Materials study. The study describes a new method for adding a nanometer-thin layer of magnesium atoms to collagen membranes, which gives new abilities to a common dental tool.
“Magnesium is becoming very popular right now as a way to promote bone healing,” said Sukotjo, professor of restorative dentistry and director of the Pre-Doctoral Implant Clinic. “If we could incorporate magnesium into the collagen membrane, we might be able to accelerate bone healing and induce more blood vessels to grow and supply nutrients to the growing cells.”
When patients receive dental implants, dentists often place a small, thin membrane at the implant site to stimulate the growth of new bone around the implant. This membrane is made of collagen, a protein found throughout the body in the connective tissue between skin, bones and muscles and used for thousands of years for its healing properties.
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