With the development of new technology, the pain of oral surgery may become less severe. A team of scientists at Rutgers University and the University of Maryland Dental School are working on a polymer implant that could one day be used in oral surgery to lessen the recuperation time and pain that patients can undergo. Professor Kathryn Uhrich of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology conceived the idea of a plastic polymer that could degrade in the body and release salicylic acid, or aspirin, she said. Uhrich was lecturing her students on how they would synthesize aspirin in lab when she had the idea of "a polymer that would dissolve along with aspirin." As time progressed, the original idea progressed into the development of a polymer that researchers believe could be used effectively after periodontal surgery to release aspirin and three antimicrobials. An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or slows the growth of microbes like bacteria. When teeth are not flossed, bacteria accumulate between them. Plaque is the substance that these bacteria excrete. "If these excreted chemicals get out of control, they eat the bone away. People loose teeth because they lose the bone around the base of their tooth," Uhrich said. To prevent tooth loss, periodontal surgery is required for severely damaged teeth. "Surgeons peel back your gums with a small incision and then clean all of the bacteria off," Uhrich said. The current procedure involves implanting a piece of Teflon inside the gums where the incision was made. The Teflon piece releases antibiotics to prevent infection, but must be removed six weeks later in an additional surgery since the material is not biodegradable. After surgery, patients must also take a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug, such as aspirin, to control inflammation of the gums, Uhrich said. Though many examples of degradable polymers that release antibiotics currently exist, Uhrich's lab was the first to produce a polymer that can release aspirin as well. Since the implant releases aspirin right at the site of the surgery, the aspirin is delivered precisely to the desired area. When taking aspirin orally, the drug gets delivered through systemic circulation to the entire body, most of which does not need medicine, Uhrich said. In extremely bad cases of periodontal disease, the roots of the tooth are exposed due to gum decay. In this situation, teeth are extremely sensitive and food gets lodged in them. Another advantage of the polymer is that it can be produced in a gummy consistency so that it "could act as a barrier so that food or bacteria cannot reach the teeth," Uhrich said. Michelle Johnson, a graduate student in Uhrich's research group, recently presented the research at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco. When Johnson joined the lab, the group was examining the use of chlorhexidine and tetracycline as possible antimicrobials to use in the polymer. "The samples used in the experiments I conducted contained chlorhexidine, clindamycin, and minocycline," Johnson said. Her paper found "their different properties influence their ability to be delivered to the area between the gum tissue and the teeth," Johnson said. "Polymer pills were made by mixing the antimicrobials with the polymer in powder form and pressing them into round disks at high pressure," she said. Before the product can be released for use by surgeons, further studies must be completed. Dr. Mark Reynolds, chair of the department of Periodontics at the University of Maryland Dental School, is "testing the polymer on animal systems to get a better idea of the timeline of its decomposition," Uhrich said. Uhrich's lab modifies the polymer's composition based on Reynold's observations - for instance if Reynolds "wants something stickier or harder," Uhrich said. The upgraded material is then sent to Maryland to be tested on animals again. Uhrich said the last modification to the polymer has been very productive. She hopes for the polymer to be approved by the FDA within the next two years.
U. researchers pitch gum disease treatment
Published: Thursday, September 21, 2006
Updated: Sunday, February 22, 2009
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