New teeth within reach of a 3D printer

Have you ever imagined never having to brush your teeth anymore? Well, someone not only imagined this but also works for this to happen in the near future.

More than cleaning dirt, researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have created an artificial tooth capable of repelling bacteria so that bacterial plaque and tartar buildup is impossible.

To make this a reality it was necessary to use a 3D printer with dental resin mixed with quaternary ammonium antimicrobial salts. After printing, the material is hardened under ultraviolet light.

The plastic is extremely durable and resistant and, while it is lethal to bacteria, it does not cause any effects on the human body. Additional tests are still ongoing, but the research leader believes the product will soon be available.

Less radical is the alternative found by a group of scientists from Harvard University, which consists on making the tooth itself regenerate. The “magic” happens when low-frequency laser stimulates dental stem cells to produce dentin, the material from which the tooth is composed from the inside.

Although it is not yet a complete reconstruction, the technique is so promising that researchers believe it could also be used to regenerate bones in the future. Previous attempts with stem cells consisted of isolating them from the human body, manipulating them in the laboratory and reinserting them into the body, a slow and complex method, while this one is faster and less invasive.

They do not know how to reconstitute other layers of the tooth, but with this it is already possible to avoid channel treatments, which are quite painful, and avoid dental extractions. It would be like a house, you can regenerate the internal walls, but the exteriors and the roof are still missing.

What is not known however, is when and at what price it will reach the population. In this case, Brazilians in the Department of Chemistry of the Federal University of Pernambuco are ahead with the formula composed of silver nano particles with bactericidal action. The cost of application would not exceed eighty cents per person.

A similar product already exists in Japan, but has a higher concentration of silver and leaves teeth with a black color. The Brazilian version has less silver, leaves the teeth yellow and after 48 hours they turn white again.

The compound continues to act for a year, that is, even result with fewer applications, thanks to nanoparticles, which penetrate more easily inside the tooth (photo below). If the cavities are not deep, it is not necessary to use that drill of dentists that terrifies us so much.

While your dentist uses the dreaded drill bit to treat your teeth, I recommend that you stay focused on prevention by brushing your teeth regularly.

Still, even if we did not need to brush our teeth anymore, who in their right mind would go out for a date after eating pasta with garlic? Do you want to kill your co-workers with your post-lunch breath? 

Originally posted in my Noctula Channel column on 12/11/2015 and updated on 9/4/2018.

References: News Scientist, Digital Trends, Globo, Digital Trends