The formula can reverse the early stages
of tooth decay and remove the need for
painful fillings.
Source: iStockphoto

Fillings are currently the most common way to fix decayed teeth. In the future we may have another option – an Australian dentist has developed a non-invasive treatment that reverses decay before a cavity has formed, thus avoiding the need for fillings and extractions.

Cavities are formed when uncleaned plaque produces acid that attacks and eventually weakens the tooth so much that an area caves in. To fix this you need a filling, but it’s not an ideal solution. “Fillings need maintenance and replacing, have been shown to weaken the tooth’s structural integrity, and can even lead to the tooth breaking”, said Dr Nathan Cochrane, who developed the new treatment with the CRC of Oral Health Sciences. Their solution of calcium, phosphate and fluoride provides the tooth’s own building blocks back to the damaged area, allowing it to repair. It works over a couple of weeks and is applied using a custom-made tray that sits in the mouth, similar to at home teeth whitening systems.

Although there are already mousses that work to prevent early tooth decay, the addition of a milk extract to the solution enables the minerals to penetrate deeply into the tooth and quickly reverse the damage caused by the plaque bacteria.

To remove the need for fillings entirely, tooth decay has to be picked up before cavities form. This means regular checkups. Dentists around the world are also working on tools that identify decay early and are focussing more on prevention than patching up. As sugar and acid levels in our food increase, this can only be good news. Dr Cochrane hopes that the treatment will be available through dentists within the next five years.