Dental News - Saudi dentists receive U.S. patent for novel soft tissue augmentation tech

Daniel Zimmermann, DTI

Wed. 7 March 2012

save

ALEXANDRIA, Va., USA: An invention from Saudi Arabia that could help more patients to get dental implants is reported to have been granted patent status by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The method, called the tunnelling technique, is claimed to increase the thickness of soft tissue before block grafting procedures using an acellular dermal matrix.

Developed by implant specialist Dr Ali Thafeed Al-Ghamdi, who is also head of the Periodontic Division at King Abdulaziz University’s Faculty of Dentistry in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the technique was first filed for patent application in February last year by a Virginia law firm.

In the paper, the researchers explain how to position an acellular dermal matrix over the recipient site and fix it coronally via a tunnel that is formed by making two incisions through the mucosa. Using this method, the researchers detected an increase of 1 to 2 mm in soft-tissue thickness following allografts.

The acellular dermal matrix has been successfully applied in many surgical fields, including cosmetic procedures and regenerative medicine. It has been on the market since the early 1990s.

Al-Ghamdi told the Saudi Press Agency in Riyadh that he started looking into the technique when he noticed rapid healing in dental implant patients who had been treated with allografts for soft-tissue augmentation prior to symphysial block grafts. He said that his invention could contribute significantly to the improvement of block graft surgery in diseased jaws.

According to the latest research, thin soft-tissue biotypes affect implant success significantly by failing to maintain the required crestal bone level.

To post a reply please login or register

AMD LASERS updates its laser for soft-tissue surgery

NEW YORK, NY, USA/LEIPZIG, Germany: The US-based manufacturer AMD LASERS recently launched the Picasso Lite in dental markets worldwide. As a first in the ...

Diode lasers: The soft tissue handpiece

While dental lasers have been commercially available for several decades and their popularity among patients is unparalleled, the dental profession has ...

Soft-tissue collar around implants: A periodontal compromise or not?

How many times have you seen a case during an examination where the soft-tissue collar was less than you would like to have? How many times has this ...

Picasso Lite makes soft tissue laser treatment accessible

CHICAGO, IL, USA: For those dentists who have wanted to offer laser treatment to their patients but have held back because of the expense of the equipment, ...

AMD LASERS introduces Picasso Lite soft tissue lasers

AMD LASERS — a company based in Indianapolis, IN, USA, that manufactures laser therapy equipment for dentists that is easy to use and affordable ...

Novel approach to gingival grafting: Single-stage augmentation graft for root coverage

The existence and preservation of attached keratinized gingiva around natural teeth and dental implants plays an important role in periodontal[1] and ...

Steiner Laboratories receives patent for compound to stimulate osteogenesis

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Steiner Laboratories, a leader in the field of bone regeneration, discovered the molecule necessary to regenerate the patient’s ...

Soft-tissue dental lasers: an engineering perspective on choosing wisely

Putting on my design engineer and marketing hat, I thought this was a good time to take a look at what’s being offered with the new soft-tissue ...

U.S. military closes another dental tech deal with Harris Corporation

MELBOURNE, Fla., USA/Washington, D.C., USA: The Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida, has been awarded a one-year recompete contract by the U.S. Army ...

US experts hold dentists accountable for drug abuse

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Michael Jackson and actress Farah Fawcett are two of the more prominent victims of painkiller drug abuse. Becoming dependent on opioid ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 29 April 2024
12:30 PM EST (New York)