Researchers at Beheshti University have developed a new sensor that can be integrated within dental implants to passively monitor bone growth. As reported in the IEEE Spectrum Magazine, the Ti-PEEK hybrid implantable does not require any battery and can measure changes to the surrounding electrical field following implantation.

“When the bone is forming around the sensor, the capacitance of the sensor changes. This indicates how the surrounding bone growth changes over time. The changes in capacitance, and thus bone growth, are then conveyed to a reader device that transfers the measurements into a data logger.

- Alireza Hassanzadeh, Electrical Engineering Professor

This type of innovation will minimize the need for patient exposure to x-ray radiations in follow up visits, as the bone health can now be monitored in real-time. Once the sensor is optimized for implants of varying oral functions, the research team hopes to commercialize the technology. For more about their research, click here.

While this type of innovation appears to be trending, the concept of dental implantable sensors is not entirely novel. We perused assorted peer-review research journals such as Sensors and Prosthesis and were impressed to find the following additional applications:

• A dental implantable temperature sensor is used to monitor real-time diagnosis of infectious disease post-implantation.

• A built-in biosensor allowing for continuous blood analysis and management through maxillary bone marrow, specifically of value to diabetic patients.

• Biomechanical sensors have been used in assorted applications to measure stresses and strains in both dental (jaw bite force) and orthopedic (bone strength) applications