Virtual twin-powered rapid development of bioactive dental restoratives
Official title: Virtual Twin-Powered Rapid Development of Bioactive Multifunctional Dental Restoratives
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11365100 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to create a smart platform and new dental materials that are long-lasting, easy to use, and work well in real-world dental care without complex equipment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Somerville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 18, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,241,351 |
| NIH project number | 5RM1DE034233-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365100 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals needing dental restorations who may benefit from personalized, bioactive materials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions or circumstances that limit access to dental care or contraindicate new materials may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project seeks to accelerate the design of advanced dental restoratives using AI-enabled modeling and a physics-based testing workflow. It focuses on self-strengthening adhesives, bioactive fillers, durable resins, and multifunctional additives that adapt to individual patients’ oral environments. The goal is to enable rapid, precise creation of materials that can repair microcracks, resist cariogenic biofilm, and integrate into digital dentistry pipelines. The research combines materials science, engineering, dentistry, and computational modeling to shorten the traditional development timeline. If successful, clinicians could have access to smarter, more durable restoratives tailored to each patient.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Patients could receive longer-lasting restorations that are easier to apply and better fit their oral biology, potentially reducing future dental visits and complications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in dental materials and AI-assisted design has shown promise, but this platform aims to accelerate and personalize development further.
Where this research is happening
-
Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
Somerville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Jirun — Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Sun, Jirun
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.