Octopuses aren’t necessarily the first image that come to mind when you think of dentistry. However, in a new breakthrough, scientists at King’s College London have been able to mimic octopus suckers to fortify denture positioning in the mouth.
This will be welcome news to the 11% of the UK population and 350 million people worldwide who rely on dentures as a substitute for natural teeth.
Dentures are the most common form of treatment for people who lose teeth – particularly in older age – and are considered a cheaper alternative to dental implants. Until now, people have tried to resolve the problem of ‘retention’ by using supermarket adhesives, but this can be unhygienic and is not a popular option.
The issue of how to get them to stay in place led scientists to wonder if miniature ‘suction cups’ could be used to lock them in position. The research team at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences first studied the behaviour of octopuses, and the way they use their tentacles to create a negative pressure and vacuum – resulting in strong enough suction to affix them to rocks.
The question was then whether similar suckers could also work on dentures, by fixing them to the soft mucosa of the mouth. This was achieved by designing 3D-printed models based on a computer-aided design, incorporating the suction cups. These suction cups offer twice the retention of standard dentures, but without being so firm that they can’t be removed.
If you need dentures in Chester, Mold or Flint, then contact your local advanced care team at Art of Dental Care today to set up an appointment.