Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, along with the School of Engineering and Applied Science, are investigating smart-tooth technology. This device could one day help detect the early stages of disease for high-risk patients.
“Salivary-based biosensors have generated a lot of interest because of their potential for wide applications in medicine,” says Erica Lynn Scheller, assistant professor of medicine and of cell biology and physiology in the School of Medicine. “We’re initially working to develop a biological sensor that measures specific peptides active in periodontal disease and that would be used in combination with a wireless device to retrieve that data.”
“It’s like an electronic tooth,” adds Shantanu Chakrabartty, professor of electrical and systems engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
A sensor and electronic chip make up the entire electronic tooth. Inserted in a dental appliance or within a patient’s gum line, the device would use its bio-recognition components to sniff out peptides corresponding to particular diseases. The peptide levels are gathered by a wireless ultrasound device, which would transmit the data to the cloud.
The team is currently focused on catching periodontitis peptides, a disease that destroys the bone supporting the teeth, which leads to loosening or tooth loss. Furthermore, the researchers aim to apply this technology to additional applications.
“We’re developing this sensing platform that can be expanded to include additional tracking for inflammatory markers, stress markers, and diabetes monitoring,” Scheller says. “Really, anything you can think of that you’d want to track in the oral cavity, we’re developing both the platform and the specific application.”
To learn more, watch the video below.
