Regrow Your Teeth with LIPUS

[Johnsmith Profile]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_intensity_pulsed_ultrasound

Low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a medical technology.
Researchers at the University of Alberta have used LIPUS to gently massage teeth roots and jawbones to cause growth or regrowth, and have grown new teeth. As of June 2006, a large device has been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada for use by dentists. A smaller device that fits on braces has also been developed. In order to regrow teeth, the tooth root must be massaged by the LIPUS device for 20 minutes each day for 4 months. It has been approved by both Canadian and American regulatory bodies and a market-ready model is currently being prepared. LIPUS is expected to be commercially available before the end of 2009.

See also:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060628234304.htm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/29/ultrasound_tooth_implant/

[Crazynutsx Profile Website]

yay i dont have to worry about my teeth falling out now haha

[TheDuck Profile]

cool i was looking at getting dentures eventually but this seems better yay bring on the sugar.

[7hidden7agenda7 Profile]

hmmmm.... seems my inexplicable confidence that medical science will be able to replace my failing parts as and when they eventually fail was not entirely as futile as i was expecting

[Johnsmith Profile]

Tooth Regeneration Gel Could Replace Painful Fillings
by Eric Bland, Mon Jun 28, 2010
Could this new gel be the biggest dental breakthrough since the introduction of fluoride?

The Gist
* A new gel could soon eliminate painful fillings and root canals.
* The technology doesn't prevent cavities; it heals teeth by regenerating them.
* Although this is good news for teeth, the research could also be applied to heal bones and other tissues in the body.

Dentists could soon hang up their drills. A new peptide, embedded in a soft gel or a thin, flexible film and placed next to a cavity, encourages cells inside teeth to regenerate in about a month, according to a new study in the journal ACS Nano. This technology is the first of its kind.

The new gel or thin film could eliminate the need to fill painful cavities or drill deep into the root canal of an infected tooth.

"It's not like toothpaste," which prevent cavities, said Nadia Benkirane-Jessel, a scientist at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale and a co-author of a recent paper. "Here we are really trying to control cavities (after they develop)."

Drilling teeth and filling them is safe and effective. Dentists fill millions of cavities each year across the United States. However, though dentists numb the tooth, many patients still rue the sound of that drill.

The new research could make a trip to the dentist's office more pleasant, said Berkirane-Jessel. Instead of a drill, a quick dab of gel or a thin film against an infected tooth could heal teeth from within.

Cavities are bacteria and pus-filled holes on or in teeth which can lead to discomfort, pain and even tooth loss. When people eat acidic foods, consume sugary snacks or simply don't maintain proper oral hygiene, bacteria begin to eat away at the protective enamel and other minerals inside teeth.

The causes of cavities are varied. But for most cavities, the treatment is the same: drilling into a tooth, removing the decay and filling in the hole to prevent further damage.

The gel or thin film contains a peptide known as MSH, or melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Previous experiments, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that MSH encourages bone regeneration.

Bone and teeth are fairly similar, so the French scientists reasoned that if the MSH were applied to teeth, it should help healing as well.

To test their theory, the French scientists applied either a film or gel, both of which contained MSH, to cavity-filled mice teeth. After about one month, the cavities had disappeared, said Benkirane-Jessel.

Benkirane-Jessel cautions that the MSH-containing films or gels only treat cavities; they don't prevent them. People will still need to brush, floss and use mouthwash to help prevent cavities from forming in the first place.

Treating cavities without drilling "would have its advantages," said Hom-Lay Wang, a dentist at the University of Michigan. Cavities and drilling can destroy the nerves and blood vessels inside a tooth, making it more brittle and likely to fracture. Regenerating a tooth could help avoid crowns after a cavity has been filled.

That said, regenerating a tooth from within would only be useful in a relatively small number of cases. Most cavities would still need to be drilled and filled.

In the meantime, patients can't slacken their oral hygiene either. Numerous clinical trials over several years will have to be completed before the MSH-containing gels or films are available to treat cavities in humans.