Fabrication and toxicity testing of drug-loaded oral patches to expedite wound repair following tooth extraction.

Wisdom tooth extraction is one of the most common surgeries carried out in the UK, and is notorious for causing post-operative pain. 1 in 6 patients will experience "dry-socket" after wisdom tooth removal; a condition where the blood clot is lost and the extraction socket becomes painful. The condition is a major problem-treatment is aimed at managing the pain at the site of the extraction until the natural process of healing has occurred; this can take a number of weeks. Painkillers can be extremely difficult to swallow due to soreness at the extraction site. Postoperative pain and dry-socket could be alleviated by the development of an oral membrane to cover the wound post-extraction. Our collaborator, AFYX, APS has developed a bioadhesive oral patch that adheres tightly to oral tissue. We plan to incorporate three drugs into the adhesive membrane (painkiller, analgesic, anti-inflammatory). Once applied, the membrane will not only prevent loss of blood clot, but will simultaneously provide pain relief, anti-inflammatory and wound aiding benefits. We will use artificial oral tissue to test the adhesiveness of the membranes, drug-release kinetics and drug-penetration depths. This interdisciplinary project brings together tissue-engineering experts, material scientists and clinician expertise to address an unmet clinical need.