The Future of Dentistry: Say Goodbye to Fillings
Date: September 12, 2015Category: Author: Infinity Dental Web
When most people hear they have a cavity, a feeling of dread overtakes them. They know what their future holds—injections and the grating whir of a dental drill. That may soon all be a thing of the past. A promising new procedure developed by scientists in Perth, Scotland has developed a way to help the tooth repair itself. Using the process of remineralization, which occurs naturally in our teeth, the researchers at Reminova have discovered a way to speed up the process without drills or injections. In fact, the entire process is pain free.
Plaque bacteria eat away at the minerals in our teeth, leading to cavities. To counter that, our bodies are constantly remineralizing our teeth. Our saliva, as well as some foods we eat, contain minerals that enter into the tooth enamel making it stronger. It’s a constant battle in our mouth. If there is too much bacteria, from things like sugar that ferments on our teeth, we lose that battle and the resulting war wounds are cavities.
Reminova’s prototype supercharges the process of remineralization to take roughly the same amount of time it would to fill a tooth, but without drills or pain. This device could totally transform the face of dentistry and the health of patients around the world. It will even help get fearful patients back into the dental chair, giving them a much greater chance at a healthy smile and body.
As it stands today, once a tooth is filled, patients are doomed to a lifetime of either repair or replacement. Those who have amalgam fillings, sometimes worry about the effects of the mercury in their fillings. Hopefully, very soon, that will all be a thing of the past.
A Generation without Cavities
The process is very simple. After your teeth are cleaned, minerals will be applied to the lesion. Next, they’ll begin a porcess called Electrically Assisted Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER). Using a miniscule electrical current of a few micro Amps (a micro amp is just a millionth of an Amp), the mineral ions are helped back into tooth enamel and bond on. The current is so small that the patient feels no physical sensation at all.
If you’re wondering how long until this will be a reality, human trials haven’t begun yet. However, Reminova CEO Jeff Wright says, “We’ve worked on extracted human teeth in what we’ve describe as an artificial mouth. So we’ve mimicked the salty, saline conditions of the mouth where we carry out the research. We think this is the best way to have a smooth transfer into real patients and real mouths.”
The technology is quite promising. With regular brushing, flossing, and check-ups, this could lead to a generation that never experiences the dreaded dental drill.