Traditional fillings could be a thing of the past as a new composite material has been developed that not only fills cavities, it also kills bacteria and encourages mineral growth to rebuild the structure of teeth. Study leader at Maryland University School of Dentistry, Professor Huakun Xu, told the Daily Mail that ‘Tooth decay means that the mineral content in the tooth has been dissolved by the organism acids secreted by bacteria residing in biofilms or plaques on the tooth surface. These organisms convert carbohydrates to acids that decrease the minerals in the tooth structure.’
Even after removing decayed sections, there is still some residual bacteria in the cavity, which even strong anti-bacterial solution can’t get rid of, so scientists at the university have added silver nanoparticles to the primer used to prepare the excavated cavity for a filling, Professor Xu explains ‘the reason we want to get the antibacterial agents also into primers and adhesives is that these are the first things that cover the internal surfaces of the tooth cavity and flow into tiny dental tubules inside the tooth.’
The composite substance also contains calcium phosphate that can help rebuild the damaged sections and encourage mineral growth inside the teeth. Initial tests have suggested that the new type of filling could last longer than the ten years expected from traditional restorations, although the durability has not been fully examined just yet.