Hanna the Labrador Retriever Receives 3D Printed, Bionic Tooth.

Dental care can be a challenge for everyone, even with insurance. As premiums and co-pays increase–while benefits decrease—we’re often left with difficult choices and challenges, not to mention pain, difficulty eating, and self-consciousness about a range of issues that can arise when all is not going well with the teeth. But some of these issues can apply to other species too, it would seem. Jeanne Montenegro of Brazil has first-hand experience in facing dental issues with a pet after her dog broke off a tooth while chewing on a bone. No geriatric case either, her Labrador retriever Hanna is just a puppy at 15 months old. With permanent teeth having grown in already, this was an issue all around, with the situation not about to fix itself. The dog became depressed and increasingly hungry as she experienced pain every time she tried to eat. At a loss for what to do for the sad canine who needed to be encouraged to eat again, Montenegro enlisted veterinary help and was referred to a team of Brazilian dentists and scientists at the University in Santos, in Southeast Brazil. Not only were the specialists able to help Hanna, but the procedure was performed at no cost since it was the first time they had ever tried something like this. The price tag on this type of service would probably run around $1500 USD. The team took on the project with enthusiasm however, certainly printing a much smaller item than usual, but just as important. Known as the ‘Animal Avengers,’ the team has had experience with helping numerous other animals too as they created a 3D printed prosthetic for a toucan, a titanium beak for Gigi the Macaw, and even a 3D printed shell for Fred the Tortoise. Making a 3D printed bionic tooth was definitely a new endeavor for the team, made up of Dr. Matheus Rabello, Dr. Paulo Miamoto, Dr. Roberto Fecchio, Cicero Moraes, Dr. Sergio Camargo, and Dr. Rodrigo Rabello, all of whom volunteer their time. Dr. Miamoto, a forensic dentist, constructed a mold of Hanna’s upper jaw. Moraes, a 3D design specialist, created the model for the tooth to be made in metal, using both chromium and cobalt. “The new tooth is tougher than the original one,” Moraes said. “This is the smallest object I have ever had to design for printing.” The team scanned an identical tooth from the other side of Hanna’s mouth and were able to design the 3D implant from that, completely customizing it for the area it needed to be inserted in, offering Hanna some of the greatest benefits of 3D technology—most definitely offering patient-specific care at its best. Hanna’s owner says that the pup is indeed back to normal, but she is not allowed to chew on those beloved rawhide bones or toys anymore—and games like tug of war are certainly out of the question. That’s a small price to pay though to have Hanna thriving again. The tooth was made at the Renato Archer Information Technology Centre in Campinas, one of the only places in the area that is capable of 3D printing in metal. Once completed, the vets had to be meticulous in fitting the tooth due to the extremely tiny space it had to inhabit, for good. While obviously this would not be an operation that many pet-owners could afford today, the team hopes that as they perfect procedures like this and continue to progress, one day pet care like this will be more common—especially with 3D design and printing. Contributed by 3Dprint.

3D-printing dentists are recreating entire jaws.

3D-printing has been used for basic dental procedures for years – and the technology is now advanced enough to reconstruct entire jaws. Andrew Dawood, a dentist with Dawood and Tanner, told the audience at WIRED Health that they have used the lost wax technique which has been around 5,000 years,but 3D-printing has allowed him to do more with patients and do it faster. Dawood explained that he was able to design and print the frameowrk, cutting guides and parts needed to perform complex dental surgery. He said all it required was data collected from 3D scans and patient records. Plaster of Paris parts used for surgery are now 3D-printed and Dawood also uses plastics, rubbers, and metals while printing. He said they are not 3D-printing bone yet,but will one day. A technique to make and 3D-printed human bone hasn't been developed yet, but Dawood and other surgeons are already using bone from other parts of the body to reconstruct entire jaws in the most complex cases. Josh Stephenson, a designer and one of Dawood's patients, had his jaw reconstructed after suffering from a malignant melanoma. After unsuccessful radiotherapy treatment, Stephenson underwent surgery to remove his left eye, upper left jaw and the roof of his mouth. Using a 3D-scanned and printed copy of Stephenson's skull it was possible to recreate the missing parts of his jaw. Stephenson, who is a graphic designer, has since used the same 3D-scanning and printing technique to create new products. Dawood was able to asses the dentistry work needed from the 3D-printed model and then say how surgery to repair it should be carried out. Using "bone taken from [Stephenson's] scapular" the dentist and other surgeons reconstructed his jaw. Using this type of technology, there can be more accurate intervention and quick return of patient to society . culled from wired.co.uk

Puppy with braces regains pain-free smile.

Wesley, a golden retriever, is normally an active puppy.When Molly Moore, 23, of Spring Lake, noticed that her dog was chewing his food kind of funny and stopped playing with his toys, especially his chew-based toys, she became concerned.When Wesley started losing weight, a red flag went up. Moore, who works in her father's veterinary clinic, got the dog checked out and eventually decided that Wesley needed braces to alleviate the pain he was evidently experiencing. The dog's adult teeth weren't coming in properly. Dr. Jim Moore, Molly's father, as a "doggy dentist," performed the procedure at Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake. He owns the clinic. "Dental care is just as important for the pets we love as it is for us and we are glad that his cute 'brace face' brought such interest."Wesley is treated as a member of the family. Moore said he will even play a key role in her upcoming wedding.Wesley was back at the veterinary clinic , to have one of his brackets re affixed. The dog will go under anesthesia for this procedure. Orthodontia in pets is normally not for aesthetic purposes, but because of health concerns. That was the case for Wesley.Braces with brackets were affixed to the top part of the dog's mouth and different orthodontia elements with braces were affixed to the bottom part.Jim Moore also does Endodontics, root canals that are often necessary because of pain, and oral surgery, such as for fractured jaws. According to Jim Moore, it is quite common for dogs to have problems with their teeth that may require an oral surgeon to move some teeth. He said he completes that procedure about once a week. As far as putting braces on dogs, that happens about four times a year at the Spring Lake clinic. When asked about why Wesley needed the procedure, Jim Moore said the dog "couldn't close his mouth." A recent check of the dog's teeth showed that "he's nearly perfect," Jim Moore said. Molly Moore said that dental procedures for pets tend to cost less than those for humans."Dental care for our pets is much more affordable than most people realize," she said. Wesley has lived with Molly Moore and her fiancé since they purchased their first house. culled from ;http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/03/brace_face_puppy_regains_pain-.html.