The Next Revolution in Dental Care
We have so many great ways to combat tooth decay. Advances in science, over many years has brought us great dental tools like fluoride toothpaste and dental sealants that are specifically designed to help us protect our teeth and keep our smiles healthy. With these readily available and easy to use products, it’s surprising to know that nearly 91% of American adults between the ages of 20 and 64 are still dealing with tooth decay on some level. Many of our dental patients in the Warren area dread coming to the dentist and having dental work done, so when we hear about exciting new technologies that may make visiting the dentist a little less painful, we’re eager to share them. Here are some cool new technologies that are being developed that will make dental care easy and pain-free.
Stem Cells, Saving the Day
Wouldn’t it be great if a cavity could be repaired without drills or dental amalgam? Amalgam and dental resins aren’t fool proof methods for fixing cavities. They age, fall out and can be uncomfortable to place. So it’s exciting to hear that researchers are working on ways to help your tooth repair a cavity on its own. New drugs, called “small molecule” drugs, are showing promise for repairing small cavities. These drugs stimulate the stem cells within your tooth’s pulp to grow enough to repair and replace damaged dentin. These drugs are still in the research phase, but are showing promise for fixing small areas of dental decay. Researchers hope that someday, these drugs will be strong enough to completely regrow teeth.
A New Use for Lasers
Currently, lasers are not used much in dental care. They are useful tools in general surgery, but at this time, lasers have limited applications in your dentist’s office. That may soon change. Researchers at the University of Buffalo in New York are experimenting with low-power laser lights to help stimulate tooth regeneration. This technique is similar to the small molecule drugs, in that it activates the stem cells in the tooth, causing them to grow new dentin. With this process, your tooth would still need a layer of dental amalgam or a crown, to protect the new dentin, but you would avoid the pain of having damaged tissue drilled out of your tooth.
A Whole New Tooth
Many dental researchers are looking for ways to regrow entire teeth. Finding a way to replace damaged or missing teeth with new, natural teeth is the ultimate goal in dental technology. We are a long way from that point, but science is making advances. Embryonic stem cells are the only cells that can regrow teeth. By the time we are adults, these cells are long gone, so researchers are looking at how these cells can be incorporated into the adult mouth to regrow teeth or even repair a damaged jaw. Of course, laws in the United States prohibit the use of human embryonic stem cells in this sort of research, so scientists are currently experimenting with this treatment on mice. There has been some success on mice, but we are a long way from completely re-growing an entire tooth in humans.
While we still can’t regrow part of your tooth or fix a cavity using just a bit of medication, it’s encouraging to know that these technologies are getting closer to reality. If you are one of our Warren dental patients that dreads the dentist, this could be the answer to your dental prayers. Until that time, Dr. Apsey and the team at Smile Brightly are dedicated to making your experience in our office as comfortable as possible. With a variety of tooth repair techniques ranging from dental fillings to dental implants, we can help you find the right and least invasive repair for your teeth. To schedule a dental appointment at our Warren, MI Dental Office, or to learn more about our office, call us today at (586) 573-7700.