New Treatment for Sensitive Teeth

Dentistry Today

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Scientists are now trying to do everything they can to treat tooth sensitivity. That’s why they recently developed a report on trying to prevent tooth sensitivity from occurring.

A report on tooth sensitivity pinpointed a substance, similar to an adhesive that mussels use to attach to rocks, that could thwart sensitivity. The information appears in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Roughly three out of four people have some kind of tooth sensitivity when it comes to hot, cold, sweet or sour foods or beverages. The tooth sensitivity results from the enamel and dentin wearing away. There are currently some sugar-free gums and special toothpastes that could reduce the levels of sensitivity, but not enough to fully solve the issue.

It’s essential to discover something that can help restore the enamel and dentin. That’s where the sticky adhesive from mussels comes in. The goal would be to use the adhesive to keep minerals connected to dentin for a long enough time to promote the rebuilding of the dentin.

The researchers concluded the adhesive could be effective after testing human teeth, which had the enamel worn down, with dentin in liquid that had the sticky material and minerals on it. The tests showed that the dentin and enamel eventually did reform. The teeth with just minerals, however, only saw the enamel be rebuilt, not the dentin.

More research is necessary before the adhesive would be used on a person’s teeth.