Synthetic bone to help dental implants

The four-year study, which has been granted a National Health and Medical Research Council Grant of over 66,000 dollar, is being undertaken by doctorate candidate and periodontist Jamil Alayan from Griffith University's School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Alayan along with a team are using the latest tissue engineering technology to produce totally synthetic bone "scaffolds" that can be grafted into the patient's jawbone.

These will then provide a viable foundation within which to place titanium dental implants.

"Traditionally, people with missing teeth who have lost a lot of jawbone due to disease or trauma, would need to have these replaced with dental implants using their own bone. This bone is usually derived from their jaw, but occasionally it has to be derived from their hip or skull," Alayan said in a university statement.

"These procedures are often associated with significant pain, nerve damage and post-operative swelling, as well as extended time off work for the patient," Alayan said.

"By using artificial bone, we can instigate a much less invasive method of bone and tooth replacement. A big benefit for the patient is that the risks of complications using this method will be significantly lower because bone doesn