The dental, oral, and craniofacial masticatory system (DOC-MS) is subjected to various mechanical and bacterial insults.
The overall vision is to map the functional continua between the fibrous and fibrocartilaginous joints that define our dental, oral and craniofacial masticatory system (DOC-MS) from a holistic point of view by using principles of biomechanics and mechanobiology at multiple length scales in three-dimensional space. Current questions under investigation include when the masticatory complex is exposed to prolonged aberrant loads, is there an optimal age range for an adapted joint to recover to its baseline function when the aberrant loads are replaced with physiologic loads?
Current research efforts: Forces resulting from routine chewing to orthodontic interventions act on the tooth-crown of the masticatory complex. Force- and age-mediated biological processes leading to joint adaptation that occur below the tooth-crown affect the masticatory complex and are unseen by dentists. When the masticatory complex is exposed to prolonged aberrant loads, is there an optimal age range for an adapted joint to recover to its baseline function when the aberrant loads are replaced with physiologic loads? From a clinical perspective, this research is a prerequisite to developing guidelines for age-related recovery of masticatory function and age-appropriate delivery of therapeutic forces to maintain physiologic function.
The alveolar bone forms a “complex” with the tooth via a wonderfully constituted softer tissue, the periodontal ligament (PDL) that is both vascularized and innervated. This ligament has “power” onto its own merit and often delivers favorable or unfavorable joint function, as evidenced by clinical cases related to periodontology, orthodontics, and prosthodontics. Our laboratory works in most of these "spaces" in collaboration with various clinicians within the Divisions of Periodontology, Orthodontics, and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry.
Approach: Global and local biomechanics using functional imaging
The “general and/or broad” perspectives that govern and inspire our laboratory fall within the philosophy of “how do global forces affect local tissue properties, and how do the local properties, in turn, affect global function?” As such, the effects of physical forces on bone modeling, remodeling, and overall adaptation within the context of joint function are investigated.
Over a decade ago, our laboratory started researching exclusively on tissue properties. However, over time, we have realized that better insights into tissue properties can be gathered when they are investigated in the context of joint function. As such, we have developed technologies and calibrated biomechanical in situ protocols, which have been successfully applied over several years. These hybrid technologies continue to allow us to “bridge” local tissue properties with the global behavior of joints/implants. Despite the current limitations in the visualization of internal structures in intact joints (currently X-rays enable visualization of the internal architecture of intact joints, but gaps and thereby tradeoff in resolution still exist between the sizes of fields of view and magnifications), the hybrid approach informs us of the effect of local tissue properties on overall joint function.
Collaborators
Faculty
Rosalyn Sulyanto, Pediatric Dentristry, Boston’s Children Hospital, Harvard Univ.
Richard Souza, Professor, Director of Research, UCSF Human Performance Center
Stephen Connelly, DDS, MD, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, VA, UCSF
Youngho Seo, Professor, Radiology, UCSF
Bo Wang, Professor of Department of Engineering Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, China
Galateia Kazakia (Biomechanics, Tissue Mechanics, Radiology)
Residents and Fellows
Conrad Chou, Pediatric Dentistry