Peri-implant infections are a devastating complication of dental implants, occurring in approximately 20% of all patients, that can ultimately lead to implant instability and loss. Considering this high prevalence rate and the lack of predictive treatments in severe cases, prevention of peri-implantitis has become a major challenge in clinical dentistry.

The EU-funded NOMAD project will develop innovative biomaterial approaches for dental implants, from TRL3 to TRL5. Various functionalised implant coatings for titanium and zirconia implant surfaces will reduce the risk of infection (and associated inflammation), improve soft-tissue sealing at the gum line, and promote osseointegration. A further innovation are multi-material crowns and abutments using additive manufacturing combined with grafting of nanotubes, enabling controlled release of prebiotic as well as antimicrobial compounds in response to bacterial adhesion at the onset of infection (i.e. smart conditional release). A combination of these approaches will be employed in the final product to provide a customisable, all-round solution focusing on crown, abutment and/or fixture for prevention of peri-implantitis. Advanced in vitro testing using complex cell co-cultures in bioreactor systems, and biomechanical stability tests will enable selecting the most promising biomaterials for testing in relevant in vivo models. These results will enable rapid progression to first-in-human studies of new biomaterials after the project. A cost-benefit and regulatory analysis will be performed and an innovation management strategy will develop a roadmap for commercialisation.

The NOMAD consortium includes a major dental implant manufacturer, academic groups, SMEs working on biomaterials innovation and a specialist innovation company. The project is a major opportunity for enhancing EU competitiveness in biomaterials and inter-sector technology transfer.