04 March 2023

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University of Washington dental alums invent safer lining for implant channels

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Two dentistry alumni from the University of Washington have created the first medical-grade screw channel barrier material for dental implants. Frustrated by the lack of dedicated material, Dr. Alexander Shor, graduate in prosthodontics, and Dr. Jim Janakievski, graduate in periodontics, created an award-winning product, FirstPlug.

According to a UW news story, FirstPlug is designed as a cylindrical PTFE rod and can be dispensed in specific lengths so that dentists and dental assistants can safely and easily fill screw access channels for implant restorations. Until now, there had been no product designed specifically for this purpose.

Dentists have been using a variety of materials including cotton pellets, silicone and plumber’s tape to fill screw access channels. All were less than optimal for the intended purpose. For example, cotton pellets absorb moisture and promote bacterial growth. Plumber’s tape is an industrial product which lacks regulatory compliance and is not intended for use in the human body.

Now that there’s a medical-grade product designed for implant restorations on the market, dental practitioners are starting to take advantage of it, including those in the UW’s School of Dentistry.

Dr. Van Ramos, director of the Graduate Prosthodontics program, said in late 2022 that he and his team had been using the product for about six months. 

“It is a very useful material for us since it fits the size of the screw access perfectly and it is very easy to place,” he said. “I also like the fact that it is a medical-grade material that can easily be sterilized before use.”

Shor and Janakievski said that the Department of Restorative Dentistry has also approved FirstPlug for use in the school’s predoctoral clinics.

Read the original story: https://dental.washington.edu/dental-alums-invent-safer-lining-for-implant-channels/