A TEAM of researchers at King’s College London has proven new method of stimulating the renewal of living stem cells in tooth pulp using an Alzheimer’s drug, called Tideglusib.
Developed for and trialled to treat Alzheimer’s disease, scientists found the drug also happens to promote the natural tooth regrowth mechanism in mice, allowing the tooth to repair cavities.
Currently dentists use manmade cements or fillings, such as calcium and silicon-based products, to treat cavities and fill holes in teeth. This cement remains in the tooth and fails to disintegrate, meaning that the normal mineral level of the tooth is never completely
restored.
In the paper published in Scientific Reports, the team inserted small, biodegradable sponges made of collagen soaked in Tideglusib into cavities. The sponges triggered dentine
growth and within six weeks, the damage was repaired.
The collagen structure of the sponges melted away, leaving only the intact tooth. The novel, biological approach could see teeth use their natural ability to repair large
cavities rather than using cements or fillings, which are prone to infections and often need replacing a number of times.
When fillings fail or infection occurs, dentists have to remove and fill an area that is larger than what is affected, and after multiple treatments the tooth may eventually need to be extracted. As this new method encourages natural tooth repair, it could eliminate all of these issues, providing a more natural solution for patients.
Lead author of the study, Professor Paul Sharpe from King’s College London in a press statement said: “The simplicity of our approach makes it ideal as a clinical dental product for the natural treatment of large cavities, by providing both pulp protection and restoring dentine.
‘“In addition, using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease provides a real opportunity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics.”
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