King’s College Scientists Develop New Pain-free Filling Treatment
Scientists from King’s College London have developed a new pain-free filling treatment, which may spell the end of the dreaded dental drill.
A new technique, also known by the name of Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation, rebuilds tooth tissue by moving calcium and phosphate particles to the tooth. The process would eliminate the need for drilling and placing fillings and could help to make treatment of an infected tooth much less daunting for patients who suffer from dental phobia.
The EAER technique involves two key steps; the first stage is used to clean and prepare the tooth enamel, while the second step involves pushing the minerals to the damaged tooth. The team is hoping that the technique will be available to UK dentists within the next three years assuming there are no hiccups.
Professor Nigel Pitts, from the university’s Dental Institute, said that the EAER technique could replace the traditional procedure of drilling and removing damaged tooth tissue and then filling cavities. The new treatment is better, Professor Pitts explained, because it preserves the structure of teeth and is a less scary prospect for patients. The technique can also be used for tooth whitening.
Reminova, a company based in Scotland, is overseeing the commercial side of the research and is currently seeking an investor to propel the technique to the commercial market. The firm is the first to step out from King’s College London Dental and Innovation and Translation Centre, which was established in January this year with the aim of converting ideas and innovations into products and services.
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