Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Breakthrough Gel May Heal Cavities

Discovery.com... how cool and cutting edge are they? Recently they've run a piece about a new gel that encourages teeth to regenerate after cavities have already formed. Shazam!

This innovative technology is essentially different from all other methods of dentistry currently available. Most dentistry has two main goals: to prevent decay from beginning, and if prevention fails, to restore the tooth by removing the decay and infection and sealing the tooth.

This new gel is something entirely different. Rather than removing decayed areas of the tooth and replacing it with composite filling material, this gel is placed next to a cavity. It is made of MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone), when it is applied, the cells inside the teeth regenerate in rougly a month, according to their study.

The gel is NOT a preventative measure, it will not stop tooth decay, but it will reverse it. It does not take the place of brushing and flossing. Just like the old sports adage "the best defense is a good offense", your best chances for a healthy mouth are daily brushing and flossing.

However, it will still be several years before this treatment is available.... but isn't the possibility of it cool?