The present invention relates to the field of dentistry, specifically to a method of harvesting postmortem mammalian teeth.

Background of the Invention It is well-known that jawbones, alveolar bone, and teeth developed from cells of the neural crest and that many proteins are common to bone, dentin, and cementum. It is, therefore, not surprising that dentin, which comprises more than 85% of tooth structure, can serve as native bone grafting material. Dentin is a calcified tissue of the body and, along with enamel, cementum, and pulp, is one of the four major components of teeth. It is usually covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root and surrounds the entire

pulp. By volume, 45% of dentin consists of the mineral hydroxyapatite, 33% is organic material, and 22% is water.

Methods for processing mammahan dentin into particulate and sterile grafting material for preserving of alveolar bone have been described and used in several animal studies.

However, extraction of mammalian teeth is a cumbersome and difficult task.

Various attempts have been made to mechanically or chemically remove teeth from animal jaws.

Navia et al. (J Dent Res . Sep-Oct 1963;42:1251) discloses a technique for removal of intact teeth from jaws of experimental animals.

US 2007/0196791 describes methods and apparatus for recovering dental pulp from dentition of a donor.

However, there still remains a need for a delicate process for the removal of long teeth with minimum harm to the removed tooth.

Summary of the Invention

According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a process for the extraction of teeth from postmortem animal jaws comprising: exposing said jaws to a temperature of between 60-120°C for 1-5 hours; and removing said teeth using one or more mechanical instruments.

According to some embodiments, the animal may be selected from the group including pigs, cows, bulls, steers, sheep, horses, goats, donkeys and mules. According to some embodiments, the animal may preferably be a pig. According to some embodiments, the jaws may preferably be exposed to a temperature of between 80-100°C for 2-3 hours.

According to some embodiments, the one or more mechanical instruments may be selected from the group including pliers, forceps and dental elevators.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a process for the extraction of teeth from postmortem animal jaws comprising: preheating water to a temperature of 60-120°C in a vessel; soaking said jaws in said preheated water for 1-5 hours; removing said teeth from said jaws using one or more mechanical instruments.

According to some embodiments, the process may further include drying of the teeth in an oven at a temperature of 60-100°C ±5 °C.

According to some embodiments, the jaws may be exposed to a temperature of between 80-100°C for 2-3 hours.

According to some embodiments, the process may further include the step of cleaning the teeth after removal, wherein the net weight of the removed teeth after cleaning is at least 75% of the gross weight of the removed teeth before cleaning.

According to some embodiments, the process may further include a preliminary step of dehydrating the jaws prior to soaking by placing the jaws in an oven preheated to a temperature of 80°C±5 °C, for at least 30 minutes.

Description of the figures

Figure 1 is an illustration of a mid-plane section view of a pig's jawbone with teeth, in accordance with some embodiments.

Detailed Description of the Invention

According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a process for postmortem harvesting of teeth from mammalian jaws comprising exposing the jaws to heat for prolonged periods of time.

According to some embodiments, the process may allow for an effective removal of the teeth, e.g., while preserving essential components in the teeth, such as dentin.

According to some embodiments, many of the mammals have teeth of 30mm or more in length, wherein at least 20% of each tooth is rooted in the soft tissue covering the mammal's jawbone.

According to some embodiments, these teeth may be particularly difficult to extract due a relatively extensive hold in the gums.

In addition, certain mammals, such as pigs, have curved shape teeth which make it make it even more difficult to extract the tooth on its entirety, e.g., without cracking or breaking it, for example, especially when using mechanical instruments. According to some embodiments, the term "extracting" may refer to the removal or harvesting of the teeth from the jaws.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, the process of the present invention may comprise:

Exposing the animal jaws to a temperature of between 60-120°C, preferably, between 80-100 °C for 1-5 hours, preferably 2-4 hours.

Removing the teeth using one or more mechanical instruments, e.g., pliers, forceps, dental elevators and the like.

Optionally, drying of the teeth in an oven at a temperature of 60- 100°C ±5 °C, preferably 80°C±5 °C.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, the removed teeth may be cleaned from any surrounding tissues and/or pulp using a steel file.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, the animal jaws may be exposed to a temperature of between 60-120°C, using a device or method selected from the group including: Boiling waters; heating oven; Industrial Heaters; Thermal oil Heaters; Electric thermal fluid heaters; Indirect Fired Heaters; Heat Exchangers; Heating skid systems; Expansion tanks; Suction heaters; Thermal Fluid and the like.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, exposing the animal jaws to a temperature of between 60-120°C, preferably 80-100 °C, may be done using any suitable method, including using an oven or any other heating device, radiation, exposure to heated liquid, e.g., water, and the like. According to some preferable embodiments of the present invention, the process of the present invention may comprise:

Preheating water to a temperature of 80-100°C in a suitable vessel;

Soaking postmortem animal jaws in the preheated water for 1-5 hours, preferably 2-4 hours;

Removing teeth from the jaws using one or more mechanical instruments, e.g., pliers, forceps, dental elevators and the like;

Drying the teeth in an oven at a temperature of 60-100°C ±5 °C, preferably 80°C±5 °C.

According to some embodiments, the process may optionally include a preliminary step of dehydrating the jaws prior to soaking of the jaws into the waters. According to these embodiments, the jaws may be placed in a preheated oven, e.g., to a temperature of 80°C±5 °C, for at least 30 minutes, preferably, at least 1 hour, for dehydration.

According to some embodiments, the removal of the teeth according to the process of the present invention may allow for the quick and easy removal of teeth, while still preserving essential materials contained in the tooth, for example, dentin.

Using differential scanning calorimetry, it has been shown that the denaturation temperature (T(d)) of mineralized dentin is between 160°C to 186°C, depending on whether it was from young or old dentin, respectively. Accordingly, the process of the present invention allows on the one hand to safely and easily remove teeth from the animal jaws, for example, due to the denaturation of proteins in the surrounding tissues, yet on the other hand preserve the dentin of the tooth.

According to some preferable embodiments of the present invention, the process of the present invention may comprise:

Dehydrating postmortem animal jaws in an oven at temperature of 80°C±5 °C;

Preheating water to a temperature of 80-100°C in a stainless steel vessel;

Soaking the jaws in the preheated water for 1-5 hours, preferably, 2- 3 hours;

Removing teeth from the jaws using one or more mechanical instruments, e.g., pliers, forceps, dental elevators and the like;

Drying the teeth in an oven at a temperature of 80°C±5 °C.

According to some embodiments, the teeth removed from the postmortem mammal may include any kind of teeth in the length of 30mm or more, preferably, 35mm or more.

According to some embodiments, the term ''animal", "animal farm" or "mammal" may include any suitable mammalian animal possessing dentin in its teeth, selected from the group including, for example, pigs, cows, bulls, steers, sheep, horses, goats, donkeys, mules and the like.

According to some embodiments, the mammal is preferably a pig. According to these preferred embodiments, pigs may possess teeth in unique shapes which have a strong hold in the soft tissues surrounding the pigs' jawbone.

Reference is now made to figure 1 which depicts an illustration of a midplane section view of a pig's jawbone with teeth, in accordance with some embodiments.

As shown in figure 1, the jawbone may include curved teeth 102.

According to some embodiments, the process of the present invention may be particularly preferable in the case of curved teeth, which are more difficult to extract than ordinary teeth.

According to some embodiments, the pig's teeth may contain biological components such as vital proteins and dentin, which may be used, for example, for further processing, e.g., for grafting purposes.

According to some embodiments, the unique process conditions of the present invention may allow for the effective extraction of mammal's teeth, e.g., with less that 5% material loss, and with the preservation of the biological components, which are often sensitive and prone to undergo denaturation.

According to some embodiments, due to the unique nature of the process of the present invention, the extracted teeth may have little or no surrounding soft tissue that need to be removed to obtain a clean tooth.

According to some embodiments, the process of the present invention is effective both for the relatively easier extraction of the teeth and for the natural removal of the soft tissue surrounding the teeth. According to these embodiments, the process of the present invention allows for the removal of the teeth from the animal jaws with little or no surrounding soft tissue whilst simultaneously capable of maintaining sufficient amounts of the biological materials. According to some embodiments, the term "sufficient amount" may relate to ana mount which allows the use of the biological materials, e.g., dentin, for the preparation of bone graft implants and the like.

According to these embodiments, the net weight of the teeth after cleaning the soft tissue may be at least 75% of the gross weight of the extracted teeth before cleaning, preferably, at least 80%.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, the process of the present invention may be preferable when the mammal is a pig, as pigs have curved teeth which are extremely difficult to extract in one piece, i.e., without being cracked or broken, and whereas other process of extraction involve conditions which may harm the biological components present in these teeth.

According to some embodiments, there is provided herein a process for postmortem harvesting of teeth from pig's jaws comprising exposing the jaws to heat for prolonged periods of time, e.g., for 1-5 hours, preferably 2-3 hours.

According to some embodiments, the pig may at least 12 months old, preferably at least 14 months, and most preferably at least 18 months.

According to some embodiments, as the pig grows and moves from infancy to adulthood (12 months and above) concentrations of biological materials in the teeth elevate and reach useful concentrations, e.g., useful for use in grafting etc. However, as the pig grows and becomes older than 12 months, these teeth also become substantially rooted in the soft tissue covering the jaw and thus becomes extremely difficult to extract.

According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a process for the extraction of teeth from a postmortem pig, comprising: exposing jaws to a temperature of between 60-120°C, preferably 80-100 120°C for 1-5 hours, preferably 2-3 hours; and removing the teeth using one or more mechanical instruments.

According to some embodiments, the process may further include the step of drying the pig's teeth in an oven at a temperature of 60-100°C ±5 °C.

According to some embodiments, the process of the present invention may include removal of the teeth from the postmortem animal jaws using laser techniques.

According to some embodiments, the laser dental treatment for the removal of the teeth may work by honing an intense beam of light energy to perform a precise dental removal procedure cut or vaporize any surrounding tissue on contact, for an easier extraction of the tooth.

Examples

Example 1

Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 9:20

Finishing time: 11:00

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 98°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 135.54gr

Teeth net weight after cleaning: 110.25gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C

Example 2

Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 9:00

Finishing time: 11:00

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 92°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 50.55gr

Teeth net weight after cleaning: 37.95 gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C

Example 3 Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 6:30

Finishing time: 8:30

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 98°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 173.44gr

Teeth net weight after cleaning: 152.15gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C

Example 4

Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 10:30

Finishing time: 12:30

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 98°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 203.14gr

Teeth net weight after cleaning: 169.63gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C Example 5

Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 9:00

Finishing time: 12:00

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 96°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 270.17gr

Teeth net weight after cleaning: 221.64gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C

Example 6

Pigs were screened and culled, following which jaws were removed and placed in preheated water according to the condition detailed below.

Water heating start time: 10:30

Finishing time: 12:30

Water temperature during process (measured after 2 hours): 95°C

Teeth Gross weight after harvesting: 105.60gr Teeth net weight after cleaning: 86.62gr

Drying conditions: 1 hour, 80 °C

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.

It will be appreciated that various features of the invention which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. It will also be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove.