{"id":426377,"date":"2024-12-03T10:09:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=426377"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"How-octupus-tentacles-are-helping-scientists-make-better-dentures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/How-octupus-tentacles-are-helping-scientists-make-better-dentures\/","title":{"rendered":"How octupus tentacles are helping scientists make better dentures"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

(Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels)<\/p>\n

By Imogen Howse via SWNS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Scientists have found a way to help dentures better stick to the mouth – by mimicking the powerful ‘suction cups’ found on octopus tentacles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many have to resort to various denture cements and adhesives, but these are widely unpopular – with users claiming they are unhygienic, unpleasant, and change the taste of food.<\/p>\n

However, scientists from King’s College London (KCL) believe they have finally found an alternative to these products – one that is modeled on the octopus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The KCL team, all from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral, and Craniofacial Sciences<\/a>, explored how they could replicate the process that helps octopuses to stick to slippery surfaces in the sea.<\/p>\n

Octopuses<\/a> have ‘suction cups’ on their tentacles which create a negative pressure and a vacuum – which essentially brings about a strong suction that fixes them to things like rocks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The dentures with tech inspired by octopus tentacles. (King’s College London via SWNS)<\/p>\n

-By Talker
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The team theorized that something similar could be done for dentures – allowing them to fix to the soft mucosa of the mouth.<\/p>\n

And now, for the first time ever, octopus-like tiny ‘suction cups’ have been designed into 3D-printed dentures.<\/p>\n

Analysis of the models shows that these new dentures have twice the amount of retention as standard ones – but are thankfully not so strong that users cannot remove them from their mouths.<\/p>\n

Lead author Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, from King\u2019s College London<\/a>, said: “Having worked with denture wearers, who I often see in clinic, for several years, I really wanted to improve their experiences.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

(King’s College London via SWNS)<\/p>\n

-By Talker
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I first had the idea to replicate sticky surfaces in nature while biting into a peach. I noticed how the furry skin stuck to the palate of my mouth and decided to investigate other sticky surfaces in nature.<\/p>\n

“Octopus suckers seemed like the perfect place to start.<\/p>\n

“This research bridges nature and technology to tackle a long-standing challenge for denture wearers.<\/p>\n

“By mimicking the ingenious adhesive strategies found in octopus suction cups, we have developed a prototype that offers improved grip and comfort in even the most demanding oral environments.<\/p>\n

“Our findings pave the way for a new generation of dentures that can transform the quality of life for millions worldwide.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Eda Dzinovic, researcher in dental materials, added: “This work showcases the power of \u2018biomimicry\u2019 in solving real-world medical challenges.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s inspiring to see how insights from nature, combined with cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, can lead to innovations that improve both functionality and patient satisfaction.<\/p>\n

“Contributing to this project has been an incredible opportunity to push the boundaries of dental material science.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The team theorized that something similar could be done for dentures – allowing them to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-426377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426377\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}