Bio-seals for tooth regeneration
Scientists have invented a filling that allows teeth to recover on their own
Anna Porechenskaya, RIA AMI
A new synthetic biomaterial developed by British scientists from the University of Nottingham can regenerate dentin, a solid substance that makes up the bulk of our teeth.
In 2016, the development took second place in the "materials" category of the annual competition of new chemical technologies (UK Royal Society of Chemistry's Emerging Technologies Competition 2016). Just like a conventional filling, a synthetic bio-seal serves to fill the cavities formed in the teeth, in which bacteria usually inhabit. Just like a regular seal, the material is fixed using ultraviolet irradiation. But, unlike usual, it stimulates the stem cells of the tooth pulp to self-renew, regenerating dentin.
The tooth consists of four main components. Pulp is a connective tissue with nerve endings and blood vessels that fills the tooth cavity. Dentin is a solid substance that serves as the basis of the tooth. Enamel protects dentin, and cement covers the root part of the tooth. Odontoblasts pass from the pulp through the entire thickness of the dentin, which include nerve formations, they conduct pain sensations to the brain during mechanical, physical and chemical effects on the dentin.
The pathological processes of tooth destruction begin with the enamel, and if they are not stopped in time, they lead to the destruction of the pulp. Dentists do their best to preserve it, because the "live" pulp serves as a barrier to the penetration of microorganisms from the carious cavity through the root canal outside the tooth into the periodontium.
In addition, it is able to produce replacement dentin. Pulp capping technologies are used to preserve the pulp. The pulp is covered with special substances, and only a dental filling is placed on top of it. The new material, according to its creators, can significantly improve the methods of "pulp rescue". The existing materials used for its coating (mainly substances based on calcium hydroxide or MTA – mineral trioxide) are only able to protect the pulp from further destruction, besides they are not always effective, and in 10-15% of cases they do not work.
The new material, according to its authors, not only protects the pulp by 100%, but also helps it to perform its functions of restoring dentin, contributing to more active regeneration of stem cells. In vitro studies have confirmed these results.
As noted by Science alert, which published an article about the development (New regenerative tooth fillings heal your teeth from the inside – VM), many important details about the new material are still unknown, in particular, its cost. Nevertheless, dental treatment may not be the most global problem of mankind, but it is one of the most unpleasant. When it comes to sealing channels, you can sympathize with both the feelings of patients and their wallets. "If the new technology helps to reduce the suffering of the unfortunate, this is already a big victory," the journalists conclude.
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31.08.2016