The broader impacts and commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to reduce the complications and failures of dental implants. Treatment planning a critical part of the dental implant treatment process. With more than 6 million dental implants placed per year in the US there is growing need for improved treatment planning processes. This need is enhanced by the increased adoption of dental implants as a procedure performed by general dentists who had traditionally referred such cases to specialists. Inadequate treatment planning is recognized as the single biggest cause of implant failure, which presents an unnecessary health risk for the patient. The adoption of this treatment planning tool will enable greater confidence among both practitioners and patients of dental implant treatments.
This I-Corps project develops a novel smart health platform that generates dental implant treatment plan considering the factors required for the successful execution of treatment. The system considers pertinent medical information, information about the tooth intended to be replaced, the available anatomical spaces, the quality of soft tissue of the patient and information about the patient?s oral habits. Research-based algorithms correlate the amount of bone remaining, space available and the type of implant to be used. After assessing the data received, the platform provides an analysis of possible outcomes and, if appropriate, a proposed treatment plan including the type of surgery recommended, the type of implant, and if there is any supplementary surgeries needed to be performed, such as bone or gum grafts. The software will also recommend healing times and post-operative care guidelines for the practitioner that are specifically customized to the patient. This technology combines all the factors which directly affect the osseointegration of the dental implant, the bone-implant surface interaction and the response of the soft-tissue of the patient to the treatment.
