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A while ago I wrote about the understandable
fear that red heads have when going to the dentist office. In the future,
they (and everyone else) can rest easy that return visits won't be necessary.
Scientists at the University of Maryland have invented a dental filling that
kills bacteria on the tooth and remineralizes the decayed area, preventing a
new cavity in the same spot.
 She doesn't look scared of the
dentist. Image Credit: Acacia Lane Dental
Tooth
decay, which often results in a cavity (or worse), is when organic acids
secreted by bacteria residing in biofilms or plaques on the tooth surface
dissolve the mineral content in the tooth. The organic acids come from the
breakdown of carbohydrates by the bacteria. When the dentist is filling a
cavity, the first thing they do is drill out the decayed tooth. He or she then
rebuilds the missing tooth structure with a filling material. As the dentist
removes the decayed tooth, the dental pulp is left exposed to bacteria in the
area and on the surrounding teeth. This bacterium is difficult, if not
impossible to remove. Also, the dentist may not be able to remove all of the
decayed material in the tooth. If the dental pulp comes infected by these
bacteria the tooth may need a new filling or a root canal.
 
Cavity and removal process. Image Credit: bhdentists.com
A new nanomaterial was developed by a team of researchers.
The material not only limits the decay but it can control harmful bacteria in
the mouth. The filling cement acts as an antibacterial primer and antibacterial
adhesive. It is made from quaternary ammonium and silver nanoparticles (diameter
of roughly 1/1000th the width of a human hair) along with a high pH that
limits acid production by tooth bacteria. Although not fully tested for longevity,
the team expects the primer to last five to 10 years. The adhesive nature of
the primer is calcium phosphate nanoparticles that regenerate tooth minerals. This
material is added to the tooth after the decayed area has been removed because
it has the ability to fill in tiny holes inside the tooth.
 SEM image of silver
nanomaterials. Image Credit:
Dhiraj Sardar, University of Texas at San
Antonio
Nanosilver
is known to kill bacteria and other microbes. Because of this, these particles
have been added to surgery instruments, bandages, home air filters and more.
The mechanism used is not fully understood yet, but scientists think the silver
particles anchor to cell walls present in bacteria cells. The nanosilver then
penetrates the cell wall which allows environment contaminants into the
bacteria, killing the cell.
Image
Credit: scienceyhairblog.blogspot.com.
The product has been tested using biofilms from human saliva.
The patent is currently pending for the new material, but if a company takes up
the office, the next step will be to test the product on animal teeth and in
human volunteers to gain FDA approval. The research report, Anti-biofilm
Dentin Primer with Quaternary Ammonium and Silver Nanoparticles, was
reported in the Journal of Dental Research.
Resources
School of Dentistry
Invents Dental Fillings That Kill Bacteria and Remineralize the Tooth
Tiny
dental filling kills bacteria, strengthens teeth
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