(From left to right) Reminova founders Prof. Nigel Pitts, Dr Chris Longbottom and Jeff Wright. (Photograph: David N. Anderson, UK)

Jul 24, 2015 | News UK & Ireland

PERTH, UK: Teeth restored without drilling is the dream of almost every dental patient. A new approach developed in the UK that utilises an electrical current to remineralise the tooth promises exactly that. Reminova, the developer of the technology, has now announced the start of an equity crowdfunding campaign for the UK and the US in an effort to raise £0.5 million to bring it to market.

It will be the first fundraising campaign of its kind to target shareholders in both countries simultaneously. If reached, the sum will be used to expand the company’s development and operational team and to seek strategic partnerships with dental companies interested in selling the technology, Reminova executives said. Initial clinical studies are also planned.

Reminova expects a potential market for the device of 700,000 dentists worldwide. In a press note released on Wednesday, the company said that individuals who are interested in becoming shareholders will have 60 days to contribute to the project. The minimum investment is £1,000 for those from the UK or Europe and US$5,000 for Americans.

In return, they will help to get rid of drilling in dentistry and transform global dental health.“With their help and investment, our tooth rebuilding treatment could be available to patients within three years,” predicted Reminova CEO Dr Jeff Wright.

According to Reminova, its technology, first released in 2014, prepares damaged tooth enamel in such a way that the ions of minerals required to remineralise the tooth, such as calcium and phosphate, can be pushed to the deepest parts of lesions faster. This remineralisation process is stimulated by short electronic pulses emitted by a specially developed instrument, which is estimated to cost less than £10,000 once it enters the market.

“With our treatment you can top-up your natural teeth enamel whenever you need, just as you’d service your car when it needs a bit of loving care,” Wright said.

Reminova claims to currently hold or to have applied for 17 patents for the technology, which was first presented to the public in 2014. A King’s College London spin-out, the company is based in Perth in Scotland and managed by tooth decay experts, including KCL Professor Professor Nigel Pitts and dentist Dr Chris Longbottom.