The Return of Denture Suction Cups
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- Published: Monday, 09 December 2024 10:42
- Written by Peter Ingle
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Senior GDPUK readers may recall seeing patients with complete upper dentures that had a central suction cup added to the fit surface to help secure them to the palate. Apparently they caused resorption and were associated with malignancy hence soon fell out of favour, but the odd example remained in service.
Kings College London are claiming a research first, and inspiration from nature, in a fresh take on adding suction to dentures. Many tiny ‘suction cups’ are being designed into 3D-printed dentures, which will improve their retention. Their research could help the 350 million people around the world who have no natural teeth at all.
Despite the increased use of dental implants, dentures remain the most common treatment for people who lose their teeth, particularly with age. Dental teams will be acutely aware of the challenges some wearers face getting their dentures to stay in place, borne out by the market for denture adhesives.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists at King’s College London explored how they could replicate the same process which enables octopuses to stick to slippery surfaces, in dentistry. Octopuses have ‘suction cups’ in their tentacles which create a negative pressure and a vacuum, creating strong suction to help fix them to rocks.
The team designed 3D-printed models using Computer-aided design (CAD) of upper and lower dentures. When the models were analysed, they showed greater retention than standard dentures, about twice as much.
The team, from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral, and Craniofacial Sciences, then explored how chemical changes could be used to help fix dentures in place. With dentures made from acrylic, they showed how covering them with a thin lining of keratin, could form a chemical bond with the keratin of the oral mucosa. This further helps retention.
Lead author, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Prosthodontics, Dr Sherif Elsharkawy said: "Having worked with denture wearers, who I often see in clinic, for several years, I really wanted to improve their experiences. I first had the idea to replicate sticky surfaces in nature while biting into a peach. I noticed how the furry skin stuck to the palate of my mouth and decided to investigate other sticky surfaces in nature. Octopus suckers seemed like the perfect place to start.
Our findings pave the way for a new generation of dentures that can transform the quality of life for millions worldwide."
The Kings team might be surprised to see that “suction dentures” are already very much a thing in some UK practices. Two types seem to be available. One uses small prefabricated valves to allow suction to be achieved and can also be used on lower dentures. The other has multiple small suction cups formed as an integral part of a soft lining and shows more similarity to the King’s work.
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