• For the first time in surgical history, a 3D-printed ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant was placed in a patient as part of the INKplant project.

• Together, the high precision of Lithoz LCM technology and the design freedom of 3D printing made this ceramic jaw implant “under the periosteum” possible in a world first.

• This innovation, which requires only one procedure, is estimated to reduce healing time after such oral surgery by 75%.

• Lithoz once again demonstrates the enormous innovation potential of ceramic 3D printing with this research contribution.

In a major breakthrough for medical applications, a 3D-printed ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant was successfully placed in a patient for the first time ever.

Fabricated in Austria, this innovation marks a significant advancement for medicine and is part of the EU-funded INKplant project made up of 19 interdisciplinary partners, led by Profactor GmbH. The project aims to create 3D-printed patient-specific implants to treat various pathologies affecting the elderly.

Lithoz, one of the partners in the project, has been researching the optimal fusion of various biomaterials with the advantages of 3D printing since 2021. The implant was developed with and built by Austrian ceramic 3D printing specialist Lithoz to address the issue of atrophic jaws, a common problem in older patients. After the loss of teeth, the jawbone disappears as well, resulting in atrophic jaws and rendering the use of dentures impossible. With severe atrophy, conventional dental implants require additional lengthy operations to graft new bone to anchor the implants.

Such operations are difficult for elderly patients who cannot undergo bone grafting due to health issues.

A patient at Kepler University Hospital, who had lost multiple dental implants and bone grafts in the past due to his compromised health, was unable to receive further conventional surgical strategies as a result of significant scarring and thus received the new implant as a compassionate use case.

Made of biocompatible high-strength zirconia using Lithoz LCM technology, the implant did not require any bone augmentation and required only one procedure, reducing healing time by an estimated 75% and avoiding excess trauma for the patient. Thanks to this synergetic innovation in design and material, all the necessary surgical procedures were completed in a single operation.

The surgery, led by DDr. Christoph Staudigl, was a successful world first use of a ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant in a compassionate use case on a patient. Despite some expected wound healing issues after surgery, the superior soft tissue compatibility of zirconia compared to titanium played its role spectacularly. The implant showed clinical stability after 60 days, representing a decisive breakthrough for the treatment of severely atrophic jaws.

The design of the customized implant was pioneered by the Centre for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at the Medical University of Vienna in collaboration with DDr. Staudigl. During the design process, BTI Biotechnology Institute (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) and BioMed Centre Innovation GmbH (Bayreuth, Germany) also contributed significantly with their expertise. The implant will be patented and adopted as a medical device by BioMed Centre spin-off Agensmed GmbH and will be manufactured using Lithoz 3D printers. A clinical trial is being prepared to systematically validate its efficacy.

Funding

The project INKplant has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 953134. www.inkplant.eu.

MouthWatch, LLC, a leader in developing digital technology solutions that drive success for dental professionals, improve oral health care, and enhance the overall patient experience, has opened nominations for its 7th annual Teledentistry Innovation Awards. These unique awards, known as “The Tellies,” recognize a broad spectrum of individuals, programs, and organizations, utilizing teledentistry and virtual dental care applications to expand access to care, improve oral health and ultimately enhance overall health and well-being.

“Tellie award winners have mastered the use of teledentistry to improve oral health,” said Brant Herman, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MouthWatch and Dentistry, One. “We look forward to honoring these dental pioneers for their innovative role in driving the future of virtual care and the success of the teledentistry programs they have implemented to enhance patient engagement and expand reach into the communities they serve.”

The five Tellie nomination categories represent a wide variety of teledentistry applications:

• Dentists & Specialists using teledentistry/virtual care in ways that have improved patient journeys and/or clinical workflows.

• Hygienists implementing teledentistry to expand access to care and improve patient care in any setting, public or private.

• Oral Health Programs, including organizations, public health programs, DSOs and other care delivery settings that use teledentistry/virtual care to transform and enhance clinical care and the patient experience.

• Educational Institutions, such as dental/hygiene schools, universities and other education settings that integrate teledentistry into the curriculum or services they provide.

• Industry Innovators, including any person or organization innovating in the dental space where teledentistry/virtual care plays a key role.

2024 Tellie Award winners will each receive:

• A cash grant of $1,000.00.

• An invitation to be honored at the 2024 Tellie Awards ceremony event in New York City.

• Recognition of their business, practice, or program in a nationally distributed press release, social media posts, and as a special feature story for publication.

“Every year the Tellie Awards become more exciting as the nominations reflect technology advances and the application of teledentistry for improved access to care and patient outcomes becomes more sophisticated – including use of teledentistry to digitally bridge dental and medical care,” added Herman.

Nominations are open until October 1, 2024. Self-nominations are welcome and can be submitted on The Tellie Award website, teledentistryinnovationawards.com. Tellie Award winners will be announced during the 2024 Greater New York Dental Meeting taking place November 29 - December 4, 2024. The location and time of the invitation-only Tellie Awards event will be announced separately. 

About MouthWatch, LLC

MouthWatch, LLC, is a leader in developing digital technology solutions that drive success for dental professionals, improve oral health care, and enhance the overall patient experience.

Headquartered in Metuchen, New Jersey, MouthWatch is widely known for its intraoral cameras that help engage patients in treatment planning through high-quality, affordable imaging technology, and its TeleDent teledentistry software that provides practices and organizations with a teledentistry option to engage patients with providers remotely.

MouthWatch recently launched Dentistry.One, a virtual-first dental care network that addresses the expectations of today’s modern healthcare consumers, the need for greater efficiency in healthcare, and the proven connection between good oral health and total health. Dentistry.One features dental consultations available anytime, from anywhere, personalized care coordination, and oral health coaching for prioritizing oral health.

MouthWatch hardware and software is in use at over 42,000 practices, over 30 leading Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), and over 100 dental schools. The company has been recognized three times in the Inc. 5000.

For more information, visit mouthwatch.com or dentistry.one.

Dental professionals and business leaders invited to nominate teledentistry and virtual dental care pioneers for recognition at the 7th annual “Tellie” Awards in NYC.