Josep Rodríguez Sendra, Doctor of the IVIO-UPV Chair of Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València, has presented his doctoral thesis entitled “Ultrasonic Monitoring of Dental Tissues”, the first to be presented in the framework of the Chair, created in 2016.
In the first part of his dissertation he analyzes the process of tooth decay in the enamel and the dentin, while in the second part he develops a system for detecting complications in bone regeneration processes for the placement of implants. In both cases, the use of ultrasound has made it possible to develop methods that improve diagnosis and quality of care in frequently found scenarios in dental clinics. The thesis supervisors were Francisco Camarena, Director of the IVIO-UPV Chair, Rubén Picó, Professor at the UPV Campus Gandia, and Joan Faus, Director of IVIO.
First of all, the study of the onset of tooth decay, the result of the collaboration between the UPV and the CEU-Cardenal Herrera University, consisted of using ultrasound waves to monitor the penetration of an acid into human dentin by artificial demineralization, which emulates the natural demineralization process, entailing with the progressive loss of the minerals that make up the enamels. The proposed model allows the use of artificial demineralization of dentin for laboratory studies and opens the door to its application for studies in live tissues.
The other pillar of the thesis focuses on the monitoring of bone regeneration processes for implant placement. The average duration of these processes ranges between six and nine months, but in some cases it fails, requiring the repetition of the surgical procedures, posing significant burdens to the patient. In the study proposed by Dr. Rodríguez, a new ultrasound monitoring system has been designed, built and tested, which allows early detection of problems in bone regeneration processes in a non-invasive and non-ionizing manner. Thus, dentists will work with much more efficiency, positively impacting the dental health of the patient, as well as their well-being, self-esteem and other benefits associated with implantology.
Josep Rodríguez Sendra‘s doctoral dissertation demonstrates the wide range of possibilities that ultrasound technology offers in the field of dentistry. To carry through with the conclusions reached in the research, Rodríguez adds that in the chair,“in vivo experiments (with live subjects) will be carried out to monitor bone regeneration and, in addition, the influence of demineralization will be studied according to its proximity to the root of the tooth.” Dentistry is one of the fields of medicine in which mechanical and imaging technology plays a very relevant role.
COUNTDOWN OF THE IVIO-UPV CHAIR AWARDS FOR THE BEST TFG/TFM 2021
The IVIO-UPV Chair continues to its enhancement of the new graduates in the V edition of the Awards for the Best TFG/TFM on Dental Technology. If you have defended your TFG or TFM on technology applied to dentistry this year, you have the possibility of winning a €1,000 prize to present it at a conference, symposium or meeting in the same field. This award has already permitted four students from Spanish universities to be awarded top academic distinctions. You have until December 31, 2021 to submit your work. Check the requirements at: http://www.upv.es/contenidos/CATIVIO/
For more information and inquiries on the iViO-UPV Chair research projects, you can write to Francisco Camarena, research professor at Campus Gandia UPV, at: fracafe@fis.upv.es.
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