British researchers are developing a new dental technique that could spell an end for drilling and filling.
The technology, which uses electric currents to help teeth repair themselves, could be in dentists' surgeries within three years.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The new technique involves applying a paste of minerals that encourage a tooth to regenerate itself, and then using an electric current to drive them deep into it.
In 2001, the BBC reported that an American team had developed a "sort of plastic filler" packed with the minerals teeth need to regenerate, with the idea that it could be used to attach braces or temporary fillings. The new technology builds on this concept.
The King's College group says tests on "electrically accelerated and enhanced remineralisation' show that it can strengthen the tooth, reduce areas of decay and encourage healthy regeneration.
"This is early stage," said Professor Nigel Pitts, an investor in the new company and one of the inventors of the technique. "You don't start with the finished product, but we're excited because we think it is groundbreaking.
"We have set up a company to convert it from a demonstration technology into a viable commercial product that we can put into the hands of dentists around the world."
He cautioned that the technique would not tackle large "end stage" cavities. Nor could it physically re-grow an entire tooth.
-
The 9 restaurants to eat at this very momentThe Week Recommends They’re award-winning. Isn’t that reason enough?
-
Trump proposes ending quarterly earnings reportsSpeed Read The SEC would have to approve any changes
-
White House joins GOP speech policing, citing KirkSpeed Read Yesterday’s developments ‘underscore the extraordinary amount of time and resources’ the White House has dedicated to advancing Kirk’s legacy
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drugSpeed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policySpeed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UKSpeed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakersSpeed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
-
Anti-Semitism in America: a case of double standards?Speed Read Officials were strikingly reluctant to link Texas synagogue attack to anti-Semitism
