Toothpaste that fixes cavities as they appear

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | February 24, 2005 | By Roger Highfield, Science Editor

[aculeus]

A toothpaste has been developed that can rapidly and seamlessly fix little cavities without need for drilling.

Dental paste of synthetic tooth enamel could revolutionise treatment of tiny early lesions, says the study published today in the journal Nature by Dr Kazue Yamagishi, of the FAP Dental Institute, Tokyo.

Tooth decay is normally treated by removal of the affected part, then filling the hole with a resin or metal alloy. This is less than ideal because a lot of healthy tooth must be removed to make the fillings stick.

Dr Yamagishi and colleagues developed a crystalline white paste of modified hydroxyapatite, which is chemically and structurally similar to natural enamel, and used it to repair early damage to a lower premolar tooth.

An electron microscope showed that the natural and artificial enamel became integrated as if they were one substance.

The paste seamlessly repaired early damage caused by acid forming bacteria.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence.

[itsamelman]

[Spirited]

Answer to prayer that the Dental union is likely not to want allowed into the US. Too much money to lose.

[dersepp]

Your body already does this. If one gets religion about proper brushing and flossing, demineralized, but not yet carious spots (breaches through all enamel) observable on radiographs will re-mineralize from the calcium ion present in saliva enough to show improvement on subsequent films. The presence of fluoride ion from dental products hastens this reaction. Good to know this type of calcium will be sought after, causing the price to come down in implant and other surgical uses.

FSHTX AHS and DENTAC All The Way!

[rintense]

Can it be FDA approved before next Tuesday? I have two small fillings headed my way.

[reagan_fanatic]

[passionfruit]

Thank heavens the British have something to help their teeth! Goodness knows that socialized health care has not helped.

[gringo_in_Akita]

Ha ha haaaa ha ha! I wouldn't trust the Japanese to come up with something to fix teeth... You should see how bad the teeth are here. They make British teeth look like shiny pearly whites. Brown, mouth full of metal, snaggle tooth crooked, you name it.

[itsamelman]

Thank heavens the British have something to help their teeth!

I'll hoist a pint to that!

[King Prout]

SWEET!
my teeth are terrible: inherited tendency to decalcify and spall.

[Outraged]

Gee, I wish you would have posted this 30 years ago...Damned root canals.

[JSteff]

"Dr Yamagishi and colleagues developed a crystalline white paste of modified hydroxyapatite, which is chemically and structurally similar to natural enamel, and used it to repair early damage to a lower premolar tooth. "

Does anyone actually think this will make it to the public with out going through a dentist? It will be years before the general public gets to use anything like this... without a dentist doing it.

Too much money at stake in too many places. Our FDA, FTC, etc will help to prevent the public from getting this stuff.. for years... without a dentist administering it.