Dentistry  

Nanotechnology will impact nearly every aspect of our lives in the future, including how we care for and maintain our teeth.  New techniques using titanium dioxide nanotubes, for instance are making dental implants more reliable and safer.

F
or an adult, losing a tooth can be a traumatic event—especially when a replacement can cost thousands of dollars. Current technologies use a prosthesis such as a crown, denture, or bridge to replace a tooth. Unfortunately, the best procedure is implantation and isn't always successful. Surgery in patients who have gingivitis, tooth decay, or other infections often fails. When this happens, a second surgery must be scheduled to replace or remove the implant.

That's why orthopedic surgeons are always looking for new dental implant technologies. One of the most promising so far is nanotechnology. It could impact all aspects of the procedures involved, from guaranteeing the prerequisite health of the gums and adjacent teeth to the implant itself. Whether you need same day tooth implants in Mesa AZ, or any city for that matter, the following dental implant technologies will make it that much easier and pain free.

1) Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes

This is the new material that will result in the greatest procedural changes. Implants are routinely made from strong metals like titanium, and future implants will likely be made the same way—except with one key difference. Now, they'll be coated with a nanomaterial called titanium dioxide nanotubes.

Cortino Sukotjo, an assistant professor from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, has been running tests with the nanomaterial for years, and is now partnering with Tolou Shokuhfar, a professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University.

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2) Fewer Complications

The pair of researchers found that implants coated with titanium dioxide nanotubes actually encouraged the growth of bone cells. More importantly, those bone cells adhere better to the nanotubes than traditional titanium. Consequently, patients who have needed a dental implant have a higher likelihood of keeping it in place and a lower likelihood of succumbing to costly infections.

3) Drug Delivery

If that weren't awesome enough, the nanomaterials could be used to slowly deliver drugs after surgery. Nanotubes are exactly what they sound like: small, microscopic, hollow tubes. Therefore, the nanotubes can be loaded with other materials. In this case, Shokuhfar and another scientist, Alexander Yarin from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, filled the nanotubes with an anti-inflammatory called sodium naproxen. The drug is released gradually, and could help reduce infection
even further.

4) Faster Healing

Because of the properties of the nanotube coating and the potential for a new drug delivery system, patients are sure to heal much faster than with traditional technologies. Yet another method of fighting infection was developed in tandem with the drug-loaded nanotubes. After all other methods were applied, the scientists teamed with Craig Friedrich from Michigan Tech to lace the nanotubes with silver nanoparticles.

Health supplements have screamed about the benefits of silver nanoparticles for years, and they are often purchased by health-conscious consumers avoiding antibiotics. These researchers acknowledge that the silver has antimicrobial properties which could prevent biofilms from covering the implant. This means that nanotechnology will reduce our dependence on antibiotics after a dental implant surgery.

5) More Durable

All of these methods result in a cleaner, healthier, more durable implant which could last much longer than traditional implants—but that's not all. The cost of these implants is greatly reduced, especially because there's a much lower chance of requiring a second surgery to replace or remove the first implant. Lastly, the titanium dioxide nanotubes are completely transparent. Paired with a popular, new type of all-white implant made from zirconia, it could leave patients feeling confident about their replacements.

Of course, this kind of nanotechnology won't stop here. In addition to revolutionizing dental implant surgeries, it could change the way we implant artificial hips, fight cancer, or personalize medicine to fight individual diseases which have been debilitating until now.

By Karleia Steiner

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 Medicine  

As medicine and healthcare become exponential technologies we will see huge accelerated changes in the medical field.  Here are five innovations that are especially interesting for the near horizon.

Our world is rapidly becoming one of gadgets, electronics, and devices due to the steady advancement of new technology that happens almost daily. While it’s exciting to think of the developments that will be made for smartphones and computers in the coming years, it’s also amazing to see how much technology has altered the world of medicine, knowing that this alteration will only continue.

Although it will take a while to get each of these exciting developments up and running, they will be extremely beneficial in our lives once they experience success and become commonplace in the world of medicine

In the coming decade, we can expect to see a wide array of changes in the medical field due to rapid changes and developments in technology. The clash of scientific breakthroughs, improved technologies, and global proliferation will contribute to the creation of innovations that will change the face of healthcare. Read on to learn about a few innovations that patients should get excited about.

Electronic Aspirin

This technology is ideal for people who suffer from chronic pains like migraines. The electronic aspirin system works by placing a device that stimulated nerves in the gums. This implant connects to the sphenopalatine ganglion (a nerve) which has been linked to chronic pains in the head. The implant makes it possible for the patient to trigger the implant to stimulate this area of the body. The stimulation triggers the blockage of the neurotransmitters that are responsible for the pain. This type of device would eliminate the need for constantly taking pain killers or anti-inflammatories, which can have damaging effects over time.

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Uses of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is the process of creating and ordering genes into different sequences and combinations. Though we have already seen some applications of this in the medical field, it is more apparent in industries like alternative fuel and agriculture. We can expect to see revolutions in the medical field concerning genetics in the coming decade. Some of the first things to look for will be synthetic biology being applied to transplants and disease fighting technology. While this type of technology is still in the early stages within the medical field, the potential for success is extremely thrilling.

Better Diabetes Medication

Current relief and care for diabetes patients often requires needles used to test blood, glucose tests, daily shots, and a great deal of monitoring. Technology is currently being developed that would rid patients of the need for all of this monitoring and pricking. Instead of using needles, these products will make use of a patch that can read blood chemistry without drawing blood. The patch then sends the data to a monitor where patients can track the data. This is an exciting prospect for those with diabetes as well as their loved ones who have hoped for better technology in this area for many years. Once this technology is fully developed and working, there is no telling how many thousands of people it will help.

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Electronic Diagnoses

Special robotics are currently being developed to assist in medical check-ups and diagnoses. With the use of cutting edge robotic design, developers are making medical robots that will soon be able to run shifts in routine hospital and clinical work and charting information for doctors. This technology is an amazing addition for areas that are medically underserviced. In the long run, it can cut the costs of medical care and eliminate human error in many regards. While many patients might not look forward to have a robot-nurse or medical assistant, the development of this type of technology will help to supplement shortages in areas that are understaffed. Patients will no long have to suffer due to a lack of staff at a hospital or clinic, and they will hopefully be able to enjoy cheaper healthcare as well.

Brain-Computer Interfaces

BCIs help patients that suffer from paralyzation. The technology allows these patients to control movements with only their brains. The basic idea is that the technology will allow patients to control robotic body extensions with nothing but their minds to help them become more independent and mobile. This technology requires very detailed and intricate research and study, so it might take a while before it is functioning, but imagine the joy and freedom it will bring to paralyzed patients who can use their bodies once again in a manner of speaking.


These and other upcoming innovations in the medical field will undoubtedly revolutionize healthcare as we now know it. The only downside to combining technology and healthcare is that it takes years to get these systems exactly right—new medical technology has to be relentlessly tested to ensure that it won’t further endanger the lives of patients. Typically if a computer program or app doesn’t work, it won’t cost anyone’s life. But when you are working with human lives, the technology has to be just right. Although it will take a while to get each of these exciting developments up and running, they will be extremely beneficial in our lives once they experience success and become commonplace in the world of medicine. The information for this article was provided by the health technology professionals of Chiro8000 who specialize in chiropractic software that allows chiropractic clinics to more efficiently help their patients.

By Dixie Somers

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Kevin Warwick is Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, where he carries out research in artificial intelligence, control, robotics and cyborgs. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the IET.

As well as publishing over 500 research papers, Kevin's experiments into implant technology led to him being featured as the cover story on Wired.

Kevin has been awarded higher doctorates (DSc) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, and has received Honorary Doctorates from Aston University, Coventry University, Bradford University and Robert Gordon University. He was presented with The Future of Health Technology Award in MIT, was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, and has received The IEE Senior Achievement Medal, the Mountbatten Medal and the Ellison-Cliffe Medal. In 2000 Kevin presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled "The Rise of the Robots".

Kevin's research involves the invention of an intelligent deep brain stimulator to counteract the effects of Parkinson Disease tremors. The tremors are predicted and a current signal is applied to stop the tremors before they start -- this is to be trialled in human subjects. Another project involves the use of cultured/biological neural networks to drive robots around -- the brain of each robot is made of neural tissue.

Kevin is perhaps best known for his pioneering experiments involving a neuro-surgical implantation into the median nerves of his left arm to link his nervous system directly to a computer to assess the latest technology for use with the disabled. He was successful with the first extra-sensory (ultrasonic) input for a human and with the first purely electronic telegraphic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans.

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