"There is now a new pain-free filling that allows cavities to be repaired without injections or drilling. Instead, this new technique encourages teeth to repair themselves.
The new treatment, developed at King’s College London, is called Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER). It accelerates the natural movement of calcium and phosphate minerals to the damaged tooth.
Wikimedia
It is a two-step process: 1. The tooth is prepared for treatment. 2. Tiny electric currents are used to push minerals into the repair site.
Better yet, this could be available in three years! This process is much better than the current drilling and filling method. Wikimedia
According to Professor Nigel Pitts from King’s College London’s Dental Institute:
"The way we treat teeth today is not ideal. When we repair a tooth by putting in a filling, that tooth enters a cycle of drilling and refilling as, ultimately, each 'repair' fails. Not only is our device kinder to the patient and better for their teeth, but it's expected to be at least as cost-effective as current dental treatments. Along with fighting tooth decay, our device can also be used to whiten teeth."Already, business people are running with this fabulous idea. Reminova, a spinout company, based in Perth, Scotland, is in the process of seeking private investment to develop EAER. “The company is the first to emerge from the King's College London Dental Innovation and Translation Centre, which was set up in January to take novel technologies and turn them into new products and practices.” (The Guardian)
King’s College participates in MedCity, which is a project launched to promote entrepreneurship in the London-Oxford-Cambridge life sciences.
The chairman of MedCity, Kit Malthouse, said:
"It's brilliant to see the really creative research taking place at King's making its way out of the lab so quickly and being turned into a new device that has the potential to make a real difference to the dental health and patient experience of people with tooth decay."Imagine the possibilities: No more worrying about remodeling your teeth or wondering if sensitivity is due to a filling coming loose. Also, the toxins often associated with mercury amalgam fillings will no longer be a problem. This breakthrough combined with excellent nutrition and stem cell technology may be bringing us closer than ever to that perfect smile and that perfect bite!
