Your next dental implant could be made of fabric

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₹375 crore from ₹170 core in the interim budget presented on 1 February. The key objective behind the plan is to make tooth implants a cost-effective process, the second person cited above said, adding the research for developing medical textiles will require a significant budget allocation. The technology will be shared with private players for manufacturing to make it economically viable, the person added.

Queries sent to spokespersons of the ministries of Textiles, Health & Family Welfare and Education remained unanswered at press time. Former president of Dental Council of India Dr. Dibyendu Mazumdar has hailed the move, stating that the project aims to make India self-reliant in the tooth implant segment.

“The government should expedite the process, and once the patent is filed, they should send a copy of it to the dental council. This initiative has significant market potential," Mazumdar said. However, Dr Amit Kumar Sharma, head of the dental department at NIMS Dental College and Hospital in Jaipur, felt that a tooth implant entirely based on fabric is not feasible.

The fabric needs to be combined with metal for better strength and longevity. The dental implants market is growing due to increasing demand for cosmetic dentistry—apart from incidents of tooth loss—and advancements in dental implant technology. As per a World Health Organization (WHO) report, the worldwide market for dental implants was estimated at $9.27 billion in 2022 and $10.09 billion in 2023, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.95% to hit $18.42 billion by 2030.