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 But a new technology developed by British scientists could
dramatically reduce the need for unpleasant dental drilling.
Based in the Scottish city of Perth, Reminova say their patented
technology can painlessly repair teeth by 'supercharging' the
remineralization of tooth enamel.
Demineralization, which makes tooth enamel weaker and more porous,
occurs when dental plaque bacteria ferment sugars in the mouth that
in turn produce acid that pull out the minerals in the tooth. If not
caught early enough it results in dental caries - also known as a
cavities or decay. These can only be dealt with by drilling away the
affected area and replacing with a filling of amalgam or composite
resin; starting people on a life-long cycle of 'repair and
replacement'.
"Traditionally, the way we have dealt with dental caries is to
basically drill the decay out and fill it with a filling material.
But the problem with that is, once you start in that cycle -
fillings don't last forever - so the fillings will need to be
repaired and replaced. And you're really in that cycle of repair and
replacement for the rest of the tooth's life," said Dr. Rebecca
Moazzez from King's College London.
Remineralization is a natural process where minerals present in
saliva and some foods enter the tooth enamel to make it stronger and
more dense. But Reminova's prototype device can speed up this
process to the same amount of time it would take to have a filling
-- but painlessly, without injections and drilling.
Led by CEO Dr Jeff Wright and chairman Professor Nigel Pitts,
Reminova's technology 'supercharges' the natural process of
remineralization.
"We've just found a way to make that a much faster process. Driving
healthy calcium and phosphate minerals into your enamel, and through
a natural process it will bind on and add to the enamel that's
there," Wright told Reuters.
A patient's tooth is first conditioned and cleansed to separate any
decayed tissue or organic material that has built up in the lesion.
Once clean, the tooth enamel is ready for the treatment. They've
called this process Electrically Assisted Enhanced Remineralisation
(EAER). It uses a tiny electrical current of a few micro Amps, that
don't cause any physical sensation in the patient, to introduce
natural minerals back into the clean lesion. The electrical field
pushes the mineral ions into the cavity, triggering remineralization
from the deepest part of the lesion.
Wright added that while clinical trials are still in the pipeline,
they've recreated the conditions of the human mouth to test their
various prototypes.
"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,"
said Wright.
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Reminova says their treatment does not replace the need for regular
tooth brushing and cleaning, but presents a new way to treat caries
decay once the process starts. They hope it will be used as part of
regular dental check-ups, where dentists can spot the signs of decay
early and ensure they don't progress to a point where a filling
would be required.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says between 60 and 90 percent
of school children have dental cavities. Reminova believe their
technology could be particularly useful for looking after children's
teeth and ensuring they don't shy away from a trip to the dentist
later in life.
"If you can prevent decay in children then they will become adults
with no fillings, so that is a very key market - to get into the
children's market and to prevent that tooth decay. Also, if children
have a better experience of going to the dentist, so they haven't
had necessary drilling and injections for routine fillings, then
they'll be much more positive in later life and probably become much
more regular patients," said Dr. Barry Quinn from King's College
London.
Reminova is now seeking further investment to develop their
prototype device into a model ready to use by dentists. They say the
market-ready device will cost about $10,000 (USD), with treatment
packs selling for less than $10.
With about 98 per cent of people affected by tooth decay at some
point in their lives, the company sees a potential market for their
device in dental surgeries across the world. They believe it could
prove particularly effective in developing countries, reducing the
impact of one of the most prevalent human diseases.
"This can make a major impact on global dental healthcare, in that
the availability of a caries treatment in developing countries - our
treatment is much more portable and useful in that type of
environment as well," added Wright.
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