May 23rd, 2008
Posted in Denture News, Technology. Tags: computer sensors, denture research, dentures, research, sensors, speech, talking.
Scientists working at the TIMC lab near Grenoble, France have been fitting dentures with sensors for the purpose of better understanding how people use their tongue and teeth to talk. The scientists say that their research could ultimately make it possible to create false teeth, dentures and braces that interfere less with speech.
In the past this type of research has been conducted by attaching sensors to people’s teeth, or embedding them into an artificial palate. But both of these approaches interfered with speech and ultimately undermined the test. This new test avoids any interference with the normal generation of speech.
At this point, the research is fairly basic — the scientists working on the project have only explored how basic sounds are generated. But they hope to be able to use it to create devices that can generate more realistic human voices using computers and to create better dentures for Orlando and Central Florida residents that would have less impact on the patient’s ability to speak normally.
April 24th, 2008
Posted in Dental Implant News, Technology. Tags: dental implants, eye correction devices, hearing devices, joint repair, prosthetic limbs, research, survey results, Technology, vision correction devices.
A recent survey from medical technology network Changewave reports that 25% of their doctor members believe that dental implant technology is likely to experience significant technology breakthroughs within the next 12-24 months. And 31% of doctors think insurance companies and other payors will be “more willing” to reimburse healthcare providers for these devices.
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February 25th, 2008
Posted in Dental Implant News. Tags: dental implants, marketing research, mini-dental implants, research, small-diameter dental implants.
Massachusetts-based Millennium Research Group recently found that the market for small-diameter (less than 3.0 mm) dental implants grew by more than 30% in the United States during 2007, outpacing regular-diameter dental implants. Patients often prefer the small-diameter to large-diameter dental implants because they involve less surgical time and are a more cost-effective option. Also, small-diamater dental implants usually require fewer steps to place and can be placed noninvasively, making them a simpler solution.
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