Innovative Cavity Filling Materials Help with Tooth Regeneration

Researchers have come up with a new cavity system which will kill successfully all the bacteria from the cavity but will also help the tooth regenerate nicely.

When you go to the dentist in order to have your tooth filled, the dentist will first drill out the entire decayed section and then use a special filling material to stop the cavity from growing. The main problem is that the dentist must remove the entire decayed area of the tooth; otherwise, decay will attack again the tooth structure.

Researchers from the University of Maryland’s School of Dentistry have come up with a new cavity system which according to them, will kill successfully all the bacteria from the cavity but will also help the tooth regenerate nicely.

Decay attacks important tissue from within the mouth and the gums, and this new filling material will help that tissue regenerate. After he dentist drills out the decayed tooth, a primer will be applied right onto the surface of the tooth.

Next, a special adhesive will be applied which helps the filling to bond perfectly with the tooth. Only after these procedures are performed, will the dentist apply the filling material itself. All of the materials used in the three steps of making the filling contain silver nanoparticles and ammonium, which are substances that kill efficiently all the harmful bacteria.

According to lead scientist Prof. Huakun Xu, it is much better to add to the adhesives and to the primers these antibacterial agents. This is an important step, mainly because these materials come firstly in contact with the cavity of the tooth. Thus, the agents contained within the primers will nicely flow into all the small dental tubules of the tooth, and kill all the bacteria even in the deepest layers.

The material used for the filling in this case also contains important minerals such as calcium phosphate, which helps with tooth re-mineralization. Even though this filling material might not help rebuild the tooth in its entirety, it surely helps gaining a faster and more efficient healing process of the drilled section of the tooth.

Professor Xu also reveals that this new type of filling material will last much longer than a traditional filling, thanks to the fact that it contains important minerals and antibacterial agents. Currently, tests and trials are underway in order to see whether this new filling technique is indeed much more efficient than the traditional one.