Michael Sultan looks at the challenges ahead.
Much like many professionals, I always find one of the most satisfying aspects of working in dentistry to be that it’s an industry full of innovation. Rarely a month goes by without some exciting new development, and as technology continues to improve and research unearths new facts, it’s fascinating to see how these will shape the profession going forward.
For example, I recently came across an article about atomic imaging and how this has allowed professionals to view tooth decay in a whole new light.
Despite predictions from when I qualified, tooth decay remains a huge problem for individuals in the UK. Over half of all adults in the UK population have tooth decay or damaged teeth, while nearly three quarters of those aged eight to 15 have some decay present as well. Even the more positive estimates about the amount of tooth decay still state that almost one in three UK individuals suffer, meaning that it remains one of the top challenges we face as professionals. Decay is something that we can hopefully overcome in the future, especially with innovations such as atomic imaging.
So, what is atomic imaging and why is this important? Effectively, atomic imaging is the ability to view something at an atomic level – literally viewing the building blocks of a material or substance in chemical form. Researchers from Cornell University, North Western University and the University of Virginia recently combined complementary imaging techniques in order to explore the atomic structure of human tooth enamel, allowing them to identify chemical weaknesses in the fundamental building blocks of this structure.
This is significant as the chemical weaknesses they discovered could be the key to not only conquering tooth decay but also reversing the process. The teams researching this found that enamel, although being a robust material in its own right, had weaknesses that they exposed by using an electron beam on the material. This research allowed them to fully visualise the core structure of enamel with all of its irregularities, giving them information which in turn could be used to help strengthen enamel in the future or even rebuild damaged enamel that has become decayed.
Of course, this research is very new, but it’s a fascinating insight into what the future could hold if we start approaching dental treatment on an atomic level.
Another interesting recent innovation that could also change the battle against tooth decay is a tooth-repairing gel created in China. Scientists at Zhejiang University formulated a gel full of calcium and phosphate that may help encourage teeth to repair themselves against the early stages of decay.
To test this, scientists soaked teeth in acid for 48 hours before applying the gel. Incredibly, these acid-damaged teeth grew a new layer of enamel when left in contact with the gel, overriding the damage and showing noticeable signs of complete regeneration.
In the same article, there was also talk of yet another innovation that could change the way we fight tooth decay in the future – a pill that has similar effects to the healing gel created in China. Experts at King’s College London have formulated a pill that stimulates stem cells deep within the teeth tissue, prompting it to repair. Originally a drug intended for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, this new pill helps dentine to regenerate, meaning that it could be an effect remedy for even considerable decay.
Although this drug has only currently been tested on animals, they are looking towards beginning human trials in the future, meaning that, if these trials should prove fruitful, a prescription of these pills could become a part of our daily working lives.
Until then, we need to continue to fight these high levels of tooth decay, especially as pandemic restrictions have meant that many people were unable to access dental services for a large portion of 2020. This means that tooth decay levels are likely higher than they otherwise would’ve been, especially among children.
Education as always is key – speaking to all of our patients about tooth decay and what the causes are. Many patients will have a fundamental understanding about what foods and activities are bad for their oral health but will still need reinforcement.
There are many different methods of portraying information that we use. Diet analysis is crucial and actually watching our patients demonstrating their brushing technique can be quite illuminating! As tooth decay is seen in a higher proportion of children, it’s a great idea to educate families together when possible.
In the end, the fight against tooth decay is evolving, and we should be excited that research breakthroughs, such as the ones detailed above, may soon be making this fight that much easier. Who knows whether these solutions will be a viable choice in the future – but if they are we can count ourselves lucky to be living during a time where dentistry is being taken to new heights.
References available on request.