WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Former Russian nuclear weapons experts have developed an improved technology for more reliable, longer-lasting dental implants, U.S. officials said.
It's the latest commercial product developed and brought to market under a National Nuclear Security Administration program to support research and development that applies the expertise of former weapons of mass destruction personnel to the development of civil-use technologies, an NNSA release said Friday.
The new implant is made with nanotitanium, a metal that is stronger than conventional alloys and integrates much more quickly with human bone.
The new implant, which will permit faster post-surgery healing, is the first made with nanotitanium to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
"NNSA's GIPP program (Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention) prevents the spread of nuclear materials, technology and expertise by promoting cutting-edge science and technology built using the expertise of former weapons experts," said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Non-proliferation Ken Baker.
"The program generates peaceful and commercially viable projects while achieving a critical non-proliferation goal," he said.
