Fabrizio Sanna

Ph.D. candidate in Bioingegneria E Scienze Medico-chirurgiche , 38th cycle (2022-2025)

Profile

PhD

Research topic

Analysis of the constituent materials of transparent aligners for orthodontic use

Tutors

  • Nicola Scotti
  • Andrea Piero Deregibus

Research interests

Dental and Craniofacial Surgery

Biography

The rapid development of digital technologies in dentistry has accelerated the study and research of customised orthodontic appliances based on the morphological characteristics of the patient with the aim of increasing the predictability and precision of tooth movements. In this field, aligners represent the highest degree of customisation available. Aligner therapy consists of a series of transparent aligners made of thermoplastic material produced using CAD-CAM technology from a three-dimensional design of the necessary movements. Today, aligners account for about 15 per cent of the global orthodontic market and this percentage is growing by an average of 5 per cent each year. According to market research conducted by Fortune Business Insights, the market for invisible aligners will grow from $2.41 billion to $2.85 billion between 2020 and 2021. The research also indicates that over the next seven years, the clear aligners market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.7 per cent, reaching $10.8 billion in 2028. However, the growing demand for this orthodontic approach, which responds to the demand for more aesthetic and comfortable therapies compared to traditional fixed orthodontics, has drawn attention to the problem of disposing of spent aligners at the end of therapy. With regard to the Italian market alone, about 80,000 patients per year are treated and, considering an average of about 30 aligners per patient, the number of devices produced annually is rapidly increasing. These figures also refer to the markets in France, Spain and Germany. In light of these numbers and the growth prospects of this market, the recycling of the plastic materials inside these devices will have a major impact in the near future, both environmentally and economically.
The project idea is based on the creation of an organisational structure capable of providing for the collection of used aligners from end users (dentists), disinfection treatment as contaminated material, processing into reusable form and reuse of the product obtained by the end recipient for the new life of the material. The possibilities for collaboration are linked to the creation of the final disposal and reconversion chain for the material. A CNR study has already analysed in detail the polymeric composition of the aligner material, but an evaluation of the material from an organic and polymeric point of view will be necessary in order to define disinfection and processing procedures.