At the ForeFront:
Cutting teeth
Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a tiny ultrasound device that may help to regrow damaged teeth.
If you've ever witnessed your teenager get knocked in the mouth while playing sports, or if you've taken a hit to your own teeth, you know that sinking feeling. While all sorts of other injuries can heal, you can't grow a new tooth. At least that's what we thought.
A researcher from the University of Alberta has found that a type of ultrasound can help regrow dental tissue. Dr. Tarek El-Bialy made the discovery while doing his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. He has since conducted follow-up studies using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound to stimulate both the healing of dental tissue and growth of bone in the jaw.
"We have compelling evidence from research that the technology works; however, the equipment is large and unwieldy," says Dr. El-Bialy. "In our clinical trials, people had to hold an ultrasound probe in their mouth for 20 minutes each day. This just isn't practical. It was clear we needed a much smaller device."
Dr. El-Bialy tried in vain to persuade manufacturers of ultrasound equipment to take on the project. Then a bit of serendipity came into play. When Dr. El-Bialy joined the University of Alberta in 2005, he attended the orientation program for new staff. One of the presenters was Dr. Jie Chen from the university's Faculty of Engineering and the National Institute for Nanotechnology. Dr. Chen spoke about teaching methods in microfabrication and nanotechnology (the field of study that creates devices on an extremely small scale-the level of atoms and molecules). "I knew immediately that this was the guy I was looking for," says Dr. El-Bialy.
The result was a collaboration between Dr. El-Bialy, Dr. Chen, and Dr. Ying Tsui, also from the Faculty of Engineering. The team received an Idea to Innovation (I2I) grant from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) to miniaturize the technology. Now the size of a fingernail, the device slips over a tooth, fitting comfortably in the mouth. Inside the device, a tiny battery-powered transmitter beams ultrasound waves to the root of the affected tooth.
Dr. El-Bialy has secured Phase 1 funding from AHFMR's ForeFront program for testing the transmitter in animals. ForeFront's integrated programs support scientists in translating the results of their research into innovative products and services that lead to improved health. "ForeFront funding has really helped move technology development along," notes Dr. El-Bialy. "Hopefully by the summer we'll have the results from our tests. We're also applying to Health Canada for approval for a clinical trial on humans."
One of the major applications of this little ultrasound transmitter is in treating dental root resorption-the breakdown and eventual loss of a tooth's root structure. Orthodontic braces can cause progressive root resorption, limiting the length of time braces can be worn. The ultrasound device could counteract this destructive process. It can also be used to heal root fractures, to regrow dental pulp in root canals, and to treat periodontal disease.
How best to commercialize this technology is yet to be decided. Meanwhile TEC Edmonton (a joint venture between the University of Alberta and the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation) is helping to protect the intellectual property and market the technology. The first patent has been filed in the US.
"I didn't set out to be an entrepreneur," says Dr. El-Bialy. "My mission was to try to solve a problem-tooth-root resorption. But when I found that companies weren't interested in doing the necessary R & D, I had to find a way to do it myself. Alberta has been a good place to take on this project."