Within a decade dentists will be able to help decaying teeth repair themselves rather than patching them with gold or ceramic fillings. Researchers say they have developed a way of regrowing dentine, the yellow mineral substance in the middle of teeth that is most affected by decay. They hope that dentists will be able to use the technique and eliminate the need for fillings and transforming the dental industry all together.

Prof Sally Marshall, of the University of California, said the technique involves painting a calcium solution onto the damaged dentine. This kick-starts the natural ability of the dentine to regrow, she explained in the Journal of Structural Biology. However, although initial trials have been successful, further work is needed before all the dentine in a tooth can be made to regrow.

Prof Marshall said: "What we're hoping to have happen is to catch decaying teeth early and remineralise them." Prof Damien Walmsley, a scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, said that the research was "interesting" and "could offer a real benefit to patients suffering with dental decay in time". By putting a layer of the solution on individual test teeth, Marshall has already been able to remineralize some parts of the teeth. The challenge is to get the crystals to regrow throughout the dentin. To heal properly, the crystals need to form from the bottom of the tooth up to the enamel. Marshall isn't sure whether that's happening yet, but she is confident that she'll find a way to restore dentin functionality over the next few years.

Stephen Bayne, professor of dentistry at the University of Michigan, noted that while many groups are working on regrowing teeth, Marshall has "incredible stature" in dentistry for her groundbreaking work helping dentists understand the structure of the tooth. Still, even with the recent progress, the very complexity that Marshall and other researchers have discovered in the humble tooth is likely to keep her technique out of your local dentist's office for a few more years. "We're still a ways from being able to grow back dentin and enamel," Bayne said.

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment