Medicine Dispensing Tooth

Swallowing pills on a regular basis is tiresome. Researchers are now developing a dental prosthesis capable of dosing drugs as required. Filled with the relevant agent, it independently releases the appropriate amounts into the mucous membranes in the patient’s mouth.

When were you supposed to take those pills again? And how many? Chronically ill patients are often tired of constantly having to swallow tablets, while those with dementia simply cannot cope. However, regular pill-taking is soon to become a thing of the past. Scientists in an EU consortium are developing a new prosthesis that releases the correct dosage of the required medicine on a continuous basis. This will help to avoid the peak concentrations that occur on taking pills, aggravating the side effects. What makes the Intellidrug prosthesis unique is that, unlike existing drug prostheses and implants, it is small enough to fit into two artificial molars. Inside the patient’s mouth, it is readily accessible and can easily be maintained and refilled.

"The dental prosthesis consists of a drug-filled reservoir, a valve, two sensors and several electronic components," explains Dr. Oliver Scholz of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in St. Ingbert, where the sensors and electronics were developed. "Saliva enters the reservoir via a membrane, dissolves part of the solid drug and flows through a small duct into the mouth cavity, where it is absorbed by the mucous membranes in the patient’s cheeks." The duct is fitted with two sensors that monitor the amount of medicine being released into the body. One is a flow sensor that measures the volume of liquid entering the mouth via the duct, while the other measures the concentration of the agent contained in the liquid. Based on the measurement results, the electronic circuit either opens or closes a valve at the end of the duct to control the dosage. If the agent has been used up, the electronic system alerts the patient via a remote control, which was also developed at the IBMT. This control permits wireless operation of Intellidrug, and can be used by the patient or doctor to set the dosage required.

The patient has to have the agent refilled every few weeks. "This could be done using a deposit system whereby the patient swaps the empty prosthesis for a newly refilled one. At the same time, the battery could be replaced and the device could be serviced," says Scholz. Intellidrug is to undergo clinical testing this year – filled with a drug called Naltrexon, which is taken by drug addicts undergoing withdrawal therapy.

If you really, really hate taking your medication, here's a solution to get rid of the unpleasantness that goes along with swallowing pills. Why, it's as simple as ripping a couple of your teeth out and replacing them with small devices that steadily inject your cheeks with medicine. Never worry about forgetting to take your prescription again!

Can it really be that easy? Well, I guess you'll need to go get your teeth refilled with medication every so often, which sounds pretty awful. In fact, this entire thing looks pretty awful. I'll stick with my real teeth and just, you know, swallowing pills with a glass of water. But that's just me.