Sensitive teeth could become bad memories

From children to adults everyone has had a sensitive tooth at some point of their life. A visit to the dentist will tell you that 'your tooth is worn out' or 'you brush in a hard way, so your teeth are damaged.'

Now scientists from the Leeds University have come out with a solution that could make sensitive teeth a bad memory. The researchers have developed a solution which they claim blocks out the dentinal tubules which transmit painful signals to the pulp, the nerve of a tooth. The Leeds University researchers presented their initial report at the Institute of Physics conference EMAG-NANO 2005.

They have managed to create tiny spheres of a material called hydroxyapatite that can be filled in to the dentinal tubules thereby blocking out all sensation. Jonathan Earl, David Wood and Steve Milne of the Institute of Materials Research at the University of Leeds said that they were able to find that the ideal shape of a particle that can fill up the dentinal tubules quite adequately is a 'nanosphere.' They said that they were now focusing on developing these nanoshperes from hydroxyapatite. “We found these tiny spheres are really good at filling the channels in teeth, packing inside them quite evenly and going down the holes to a good depth. They'd be the perfect shape of particle for filling these channels and reducing or preventing the pain caused by sensitive teeth,” said Dr Earl.

Hydroxyapatite is a ceramic material that closely mimics the constituents of bone and teeth and hence is used for bone grafting procedures in medicine as well as dentistry.