Newsletter
OTAGO, New Zealand: Dental decay is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in New Zealand and the rest of the world. Now, researchers at the University of Otago have developed a new method that could help preserve caries-infected teeth and prolong the life of dental fillings in the future.
While caries-inhibiting products use silver that can cause significant discoloration of teeth, the new technology uses specifically formulated, non-staining silver particles to arrest caries and render teeth more resistant to decay. According to the researchers, the product has to be applied after caries removal but before filling. It diffuses into the tooth, where it can kill remaining bacteria that may cause further decay.
“We believe that our non-staining formula will be an important step forward for oral care and public health,” said Dr Don Schwass, senior lecturer and prosthodontist at the university’s Department of Oral Rehabilitation. “The result will be that recurrent caries will be significantly reduced and dental fillings will last longer, providing both economic and health benefits.”
Otago Innovation, the university’s technology transfer office, has recently licensed the rights to this formula to a global dental materials manufacturer for further product development.
Dental caries is the most common childhood disease worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that the oral disease affects 60–90 per cent of schoolchildren and the majority of adults.
Although the overall oral health of New Zealanders has improved considerably over the past decades owing to various health and political measures, according to the 2009 New Zealand Oral Health Survey, caries prevalence remains relatively high in the population. The survey, which included 2,209 adults aged 18 and older and 987 children and adolescents aged 2–17 , found that one in three adults had untreated coronal decay and one in ten had root decay in 2009. There was evidence of active decay in all age groups. Overall, one in two children and adolescents were caries-free, and four in five had visited a dental professional in the previous year. Maori and Pacific children and adolescents had had poorer access to oral health care in the previous year. Additionally, worse oral health outcomes were experienced by Maori and Pacific children and adolescents, as well as children and adolescents living in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation.
From http://www.dental-tribune.com
