Surgeons in Australia recently performed a procedure to implant a 3D-printed titanium jaw prosthesis on Australian psychologist Richard Stratton and succeeded. This procedure is believed to be the first of its kind.

The 32-year-old Stratton was born with a missing joint on the left side of his jaw. Only recently, he started to feel the painful effects of this missing jaw joint.

The 3D-printed prosthesis was designed to protect the skull from rubbing metal joint, which would wear and erode the cranial cavity. A number of 3D-printed jaw operations have previously been performed; however, the device implanted on Stratton might be the first to incorporate a titanium part and a 3D-printed plastic jaw joint, according to oral and maxillofacial surgeon George Dimitroulis.

"It really makes the fit truly patient-fitted, truly customized, as opposed to 'we're close enough' and it's something that I think will become the norm in the future as technology has become cheaper," said Dr. Dimitroulis.

Before the surgery, Stratton had been experiencing extreme pain in his jaw, making it difficult for him to chew. He started to get headaches and a sharp, stinging pain in his mouth. Stratton thought the pain was stress-related, but later discovered the deformity after a dental X-ray.

"I had always had a tilted jaw and a crooked smile—my family used to joke about it," said Stratton. "But in the past couple of years I started to get horrible pain on the opposite side of my face—all the muscles started tightening up and I couldn't open my mouth wide."

During the five-hour reconstructive surgery, the prosthesis was attached to Stratton's jaw. Two 3D-printed parts were then screwed on to the bone to form the missing ball and socket joint.

The successful operation resulted in a wider range of jaw motions for Stratton, not to mention noticeable cosmetic changes. Stratton says that a few days after the procedure, he had pain and swelling in his jaw. The pain subsided when a month later, he no longer found it difficult to open his mouth wider than he used to.

"The excitement was unbearable; I think just at the last minute we thought it just wasn't going to fit in but it just slid in nicely," added Dr. Dimitroulis.

Dr. Dimitroulis designed the prototype prosthesis, which was tested by Melbourne University's mechanical engineering department. Biomedical engineer Dr. David Ackland called it "quite unusual and unexpected" to be approached by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a design similar to ones previously used on knees, shoulders and hip joints.

Dr. Dimitroulis said three years of hard work definitely paid off.