New teeth gel may prevent dental caries and tooth decay

China According to the World Health Organization, Dental caries is one of the most widespread non-communicable disease globally. Untreated caries could lead to worse pain, tooth loss, infection, and even illness or death. Therefore wantingly or unwantingly one has to undergo a painful process of filling up the cavities. Now scientists may seem to have found the answer.

Researchers have developed a bioactive peptide that coats tooth surfaces, helping prevent new cavities and heal existing ones in lab experiments. The study has been published in the ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Conventional treatment for dental cavities involves removing decayed tissue and filling the hole with materials, such as amalgam or composite resin. However, this procedure can damage healthy tissue and cause severe discomfort for patients. Hai Ming Wong, Quan Li Li, and colleagues wanted to develop a two-pronged strategy to prevent and treat tooth decay: 1) prevent the colonization of the tooth surface by the plaque-forming bacteria that cause cavities, and 2) reduce demineralization, or the dissolving of tooth enamel, while increasing remineralization, or repair.

The researchers based their anti-cavity coating on a natural antimicrobial peptide called H5. Produced by human salivary glands, H5 can adsorb onto tooth enamel and destroy a broad range of bacteria and fungi. To promote remineralization, the team added a phosphoserine group to one end of H5, which they thought could help attract more calcium ions to repair the enamel than natural H5. They tested the modified peptide on slices of human molars. Compared with natural H5, the new peptide adsorbed more strongly to the tooth surface, killed more bacteria and inhibited their adhesion, and protected teeth from demineralization. Surprisingly, however, both peptides promoted remineralization to a similar degree. After brushing, people could someday apply the modified peptide to their teeth as a varnish or gel to protect against tooth decay, the researchers say.

For more details click on the link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b19745