Bulletin of Dental Education Article

The University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM), located on the Anschutz Medical Campus, has received a $6 million Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI) grant awarded to Jeffrey Stansbury, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the CU SDM Department of Craniofacial Biology.

“This is the biggest grant that I’ve ever received both in terms of the dollar amount and the complexity of the internal and external partnerships that will be necessary to make it a success,” said Dr. Stansbury. 

The core of the research lies in the integration and further exploration of two novel dental technologies developed independently on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

The first is the development of unusually strong, tough and wear-resistant photopolymers that are uniquely suited for 3D inkjet printing. This means a high-performance denture can be rapidly completed in a very efficient, single-step process, rather than by printing each material separately and attaching them later. This helps with the stability and longevity of the denture material and offers greater precision and customization of the denture to fit individual patient needs. 

The second technology involves photocurable polymers that selectively eliminate streptococcus mutans bacteria, commonly known as strep. The risk of colonization by strep and biofilm formation is a common problem with all dentures, but especially for patients who are less compliant with their oral health care. This work is led by Devatha Nair, Ph.D.

Combining these two approaches promises esthetic, premium-quality dentures with antimicrobial and potentially antifungal characteristics that can improve patients’ oral health along with the function and appearance of their dentures. 

“Both Dr. Nair and I have formed small companies from our individual research, so we can take advantage of the fact that we are already well down that pathway to clinical engagement,” shared Dr. Stansbury.

After years of research and many iterations to get to this point, Dr. Stansbury’s company is ready to produce first-generation 3D inkjet-printed dentures, using the high-performance jettable inks they’ve created that can accommodate these novel materials. They have been working with a dental manufacturing company to develop a new 3D inkjet printer. The printer and materials will be showcased at the International Dental Show (IDS 2025) in Cologne, Germany, in March 2025.

Thanks to the AAI grant funding, the combined research team expects to produce subsequent versions of these dental materials that will have even higher mechanical properties, varied material compositions in the denture base and the teeth, as well as the antimicrobial aspect. 

CU SDM Dean Denise Kassebaum, D.D.S., M.S., stated, “The AAI grant not only propels research forward but also underscores the commitment to patient-centric dentistry and health care innovations at the CU School of Dental Medicine.”

The CU SDM will be the first dental school to have this capability, with an inhouse inkjet printer dedicated for clinical use, exclusively for CU dental patients. Faculty, students and residents will learn to use this technology through the school’s digital dentistry program, led by Associate Professor David Gozalo, D.D.S., M.S. The CU SDM proposes to establish a pathway for veterans, seniors and patients with special health care needs to participate in this project’s clinical trials.

About the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine 
The University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine is nationally recognized for the quality of its dental educational programs, interdisciplinary research and contributions to caring for the oral health of communities and citizens throughout Colorado. Situated in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West, the CU SDM is located on the world-renowned University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, where it educates more than 400 students and provides more than 80,000 clinical visits each year. Learn more about the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. 

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes and two nationally ranked independent hospitals— UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado—which see more than 2 million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $910 million in annual research funding, including $757 million in sponsored awards and $153 million in philanthropic gifts. 

Courtesy of University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine

Published on December 11, 2024