Dental Chair of the Future
Glue-on teeth, fast-acting braces, anesthetic spray instead of needles, grow your own gums, keyhole dental implant surgery and more: These inventions and more are on the way to take the pain out of going to the dentist.
Glass Toothpaste To Strengthen Teeth
A toothpaste that uses dissolvable glass particles to protect your teeth has been patented by the Dental Institute at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
The microscopic particles stick to your teeth and dissolve, releasing the calcium and fluoride to strengthen and protect your teeth from decay and reducing sensitivity to heat and cold.
Professor Robert Hill, professor of physical sciences at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, says: “You brush your teeth with it twice a day, like normal. It releases minerals over 24 hours, which stay in the mouth for longer.”
AVAILABLE: 18 months to two years.
Spray To Avoid The Needle
Scientists have developed an inhalable dental anesthetic that numbs your top teeth for 30 to 90 minutes. It travels through the main nerve in the face (the trigeminal nerve) and collects in large concentrations in the teeth, jaw and structures of the mouth.
The anesthetic works only on top teeth, as the upper jaw bone is more porous and has more holes for it to flow through. Dr Uchenna Okoye claims 90 per cent of patients suffer more pain from the injection in their gums than the tooth that was worked on.
‘This is a great breakthrough for all needle-phobics,’ he adds.
U.S. pharmaceutical firm St Renatus is carrying out trials for a spray or nasal drops.
AVAILABLE: Two years.
Grow Your Own Gums
Cardiff University scientists have discovered cheek cells which act in a similar way to stem cells — so they have the potential to turn into different types of cell and could grow new tissue, such as gum tissue.
The aim is to use them to treat periodontal disease, where gum infection spreads to the bone resulting in a large loss of both hard and soft tissues.
‘We realised that wounds in the mouth heal a lot more quickly than wounds to the skin, so we investigated what may be responsible for this,’ explains Phil Stephens, professor of cell biology at Cardiff University’s Tissue Engineering and Reparative Dentistry Department.
‘The cells we identified in the inner cheek seem to work very effectively.’
AVAILABLE: Human trials within three to four years.
Fast Acting Braces
A vibrating gumshield can speed up tooth straightening with braces by 30 per cent. You bite on the gumshield, which is attached to a small motor, for ten minutes a day.
Conventional braces work by loosening the ligaments attached to the teeth; the pressure stimulates new bone to grow, holding the teeth in their new position. Bone is said to respond faster to vibration rather than steady pressure.
Dr Anoop Maini, clinical director of the Aqua Dental Spa in London, says: ‘Braces can take three years to straighten teeth. These can work in six months, but are only for adults who have braces already fitted.’
AVAILABLE: Now in Europe.
Keyhole Surgery For Dental Implants
Patients undergoing a bone graft to have dental implants can have it performed by a key-hole technique. These are patients who have lost bone mass in parts of the jaw after losing teeth. Bone is taken from elsewhere in the jaw and grafted on to existing bone just below the implant site.
Instead of stripping big areas of gum, as is usually done, dental bone grafting can be performed through a 2-3mm incision.
This is less invasive with faster healing than normal surgery, says Dr Bob Khanna, of the Ascot Clinic, Berkshire, the first dentist in the UK to use the technique.
AVAILABLE: Now.
Drug To Stop Numb Lips
An injection can reverse the ‘numb mouth’ feeling of an anesthetic, which can last for hours after dental work. The injections contain the chemical phentolamine, which unblocks nerve channels and speeds up blood flow. This means the anesthetic is washed away by the body quicker.
Dr Anoop Maini, director of the Aqua Dental Spa, London, says: ‘Your mouth could have feeling again in half the time.’
AVAILABLE: Within two years.
Glue-On Teeth
Researchers are developing tooth colored filling materials to replace veneers. Instead of drilling the tooth down, dentists stick on facings to cover discoloration.
Professor Nairn Wilson, head of the Dental Institute at King’s College London, explains: ‘Veneers require the removal of natural tooth to attach them.
‘If you have them done in your 20s you may not have enough natural tooth left to replace them later in life. So we’re trying to preserve natural tooth.’
AVAILABLE: New bonding agents are available now, others will come within
three years.
Mouth Guard To Boost Stamina
Mouth guards for bite irregularities are already being used by U.S. Olympic athletes to improve their muscle strength.
‘There is research to show that correcting a person’s bite can enhance their physical performance,’ says Dr Abbas Tejani, an expert in bite dentistry at the Yale Town Dental Suite, London.
He says ensuring the teeth have even contact reduces harmful stress on the nervous system and allows the neuromuscular system to function more efficiently.
‘Wearing mouth guards while you exercise can help you build up speed and endurance,’ adds Dr Tejani.
AVAILABLE: Now.
Saliva Tests For Cancer
New non-invasive saliva tests are being developed at the Dental Insitute, King’s College London to detect mouth, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as diabetes and heart disease. The tests screen for proteins or ‘markers’ produced by cancer cells.
‘Oral cancers are on the increase. These saliva tests could detect diseases often before symptoms appear,’ says Professor Wilson.
‘You could have screenings for cancers and diabetes alongside your dental treatment.’
AVAILABLE: Within three to five years.
If you enjoyed this article, there is a good chance you will like these articles from my blog as well:
- “Tooth Regeneration Gel Could Replace Dental Fillings“
- “Plasma Jets Could Replace Dental Drills“
- “Nasal Spray Could Replace The Dentist’s Needle“
Thanks for Reading !!
5 Responses to “New Inventions To Take The Pain Out Of Dentistry”
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Nice article and great summaries
Thanks Dr Welch
As always, I will ask, can this be reproduced on dentinaltubules ?
Thanks for reading. Of course this can be reproduced. Just send me an email of what needs to be done. twelch@wtnperio.com
As always Todd a very interesting read, however need alot more convincing on the fast acting braces…
Shona
Shona,
I completely agree with you on the fast acting braces. I am not sold on that either, however, I did think it was rather interesting none the less.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate it.
Todd
thanks dr.todd welch, very informative…