Dento-Munch Can Aid Biomaterials Research

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There is several traits in dental restorations that are sought including; attractiveness, comfort, and biocompatibility. But the most important seem to be wear and tear, as you want the teeth to last. Manufacturers of dental restorative materials have been asked by dentists to produce materials that are durable, aesthetic, and easy to handle. Developing new dental products is expensive and takes a few years, as they have to be properly tested and approved by the proper regulatory agencies.
In the past, oral stimulators that measured wear were used in the laboratory, however did not provide true examples of wear in the mouth. Also, simulators are needed that can replicate the tremendous forces in the mouth and that can also control these forces. With such a piece of equipment all kinds of tests can be run. The data has to be repeated and authenticated, taking time, a significant problem.
Problems like this have encouraged Dr. Alemzadeh to fabricate Dento-Munch, a computer generated chewing simulator with upper and lower platforms that mimic jaw movements. The lower jaw of this simulator had six degrees of freedom much like the human jaw, and its robotic actuators are designed to react to loads that replicate tendon and muscle forces. These robot actuators are much like the ones that are presently being used in aircraft simulators. If developed properly, and if Dento-Munch lives up to its expectations, it will be able to be used for a wide range of simulations. 

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