New Dental Fillings Are Nano-Terrific!

Sometimes, visiting your dentist on a regular basis and treating a cavity the traditional way just isn’t enough for some researchers.

As we now know, tooth decay affects our physical, mental and social well being. Caused by acids secreted by bacteria in our mouth, tooth decay (cavity) is almost always been treated by removing the decayed area on the tooth and refilling the area with a substance such as gold, silver amalgam, composite, or ceramic. Because of recent scientific development and research at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, we can add one more material to that list—Nanotech!

Researchers using nanotechology (the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale) at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have created a dental filling that can do much more than the traditional dental filling materials used in the past. The new material consists of tiny, nano-size particles of silver and calcium, along with an antibacterial primer and antibacterial adhesive.

Professor Xu, who directs the school’s Division of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, 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.” Simply put, the nanotech filling material not only treats cavities, but it also kills the harmful bacteria that exists in the mouth, in addition to cultivating growth to the tooth structure that is often lost to bacterial decay.

What’s even better is researchers expect the nanotech dental fillings will last longer than the traditional dental filling substances that typically last five to 10 years. However, the exact lifespan of nanotech fillings has not yet be determined and patents are currently pending.

The professionals at The Dental Center at Easton Town Center are consistently following progressive advancements in the field of dentistry and oral health. They actively engage in passing on vital information, promoting the necessity for optimum dental health, to their patients and public, alike. If you’ve delayed a trip to a dentist in your area, now’s the time to make an appointment to remove that tooth decay. We’re accepting new patients now!