This post may sound a bit futuristic, but it is just one of the many ways nanotechnology can play a great role in impacting our lives. A study appearing in ACS Nano, describes a nano sized dental firm which could be used for bringing a diseased tooth back to life instead of leaving the tooth dead via a root canal.
The researchers have developed a multilayered, nano-sized film which contains a substance called alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone that could help regenerate dental pulp. The substance has anti-inflammatory properties and in the lab has been shown to fight inflammation in dental pulp fibroblasts. This has the consequences of being able to help revitalize damaged teeth and reduce the need for a root canal procedure which surely would please many.
Source: Fioretti et al. Nanostructured Assemblies for Dental Application. ACS Nano, 2010; 4 (6): 3277
This is really interesting! I wonder how dentists feel about it. Do you know when they might start testing the nano film?
Not entirely sure Hannah they had been using wisdom teeth (third molars) that were previously extracted in their studies.
This could be an interesting solution. I know several people who would be really happy if the research results in the elimination of traditional root canals!
Thanks. I’m really impressed with this article. Science is moving so fast… I wonder, is there a chance that testing might start in next 2-3 years…