Next -generation cavity fighter uses zinc -based treatment that could replace the fluoride of silver diamine

Tooth decay is the most common health state in the world. While preventive and therapeutic, billions of people live with cavities and the pain that accompanies them. Given the huge scale of the problem, there is a growing movement in dentistry for the treatment of cavities without filling and filling them.

One such approach is the application of a pure liquid called the fluorine of silver diamine on the surface of the teeth. The silver diamine fluoride has already been approved by the FDA for the treatment of teeth sensitivity, and recent NYU study shows that the antimicrobial properties of the compound also make it effective in preventing cavities and cessation of small cavities to go larger. Because it is cheap and easy to manage, it can be given to schools, in rural areas that do not have dentists or in patients who may have difficulty in dental care, including those with disabilities.

But the treatment with silver diamine diamine comes with a remarkable disadvantage: when the silver in it interacts with the decomposition of the teeth, it converts the processed black surface. While this is not an important issue for molars at the back of the baby’s mouth or teeth falling out, it is not a great choice for teeth shown in a smile.

“Once your teeth are treated with fluoride silver diamonds, that the stain is permanent, which is an obstacle to many people who want to use the product,” explains Marc Walters, a chemistry professor in NYU.

Walters has long been studying silver and other elements used in medicine for drug transport and imaging contrast. A few years ago, it was approached by researchers at the NYU Dentistry College that seeks to better understand how silver stains teeth to avoid this result.

From silver to zinc

Walters had an idea. What happens if another mineral could be used that was also colorless and antimicrobial, but didn’t make black teeth? This question led him to zinc, an important nutrient found in foods such as oysters and beef, as well as to prescription products aimed at reducing the duration of colds. Zinc is also used in dentistry, including toothpaste and mouth to combat bacteria and poor breathing, as well as in some denture adhesives and concrete agents for the placement of the crowns or temporary filling.

Walters began to study a phosphate union of zinc to see how he interacts with the cavities and critical, to determine if he could penetrate deep into the teeth. In order to treat pain and hypersensitivity, the compound should reach the tooth dentin, porous material that is sandwich between the outer layer of the hard enamel and the nerves inside. The dentin contains an abundance of tiny, hollow channels – in fact, 40,000 of these tubes are packaged in every square millimeter of dentin.

“We had to develop a solution to give dentists who would be taken over to these very small openings and go deep enough to the tubes so that the material was maintained,” Walters explains.

Walters Applied phosphate followed by zinc in slices of a human tooth. Underneath the microscope he saw compounds deep in the dentin tubes. But while the phosphate zinc successfully penetrated the teeth, he knew that a simpler approach that did not require the application of two treatments would be easier for dentists. “Two steps are one too many,” says Walters.

Designing inspiration from silver diamine fluoride, Walters developed another zinc -based molecule called zinc bifthoride, which forms a colorless zinc oxide deep into dentin tubes. The factor begins as a liquid that is sensitive to concentration and pH. When painted on a tooth and absorbed, the conditions in the dentin tubes cause a chemical change that quickly converts it into a solid, blocking tubes and slowly releasing antimicrobial zinc to the tooth.

His team continues to develop several relevant associations for the treatment of cavities and has applied for patents for these materials based on zinc in various countries.

The relevant research document is published In the magazine Inorganica Chimica Acta.

Fast and slow

Ownership of both rapid action and long -term properties will provide an ideal combination for the fight against the cavities and teeth sensitivity, as many current treatments for sensitive teeth require multiple applications and it may take days or weeks to work.

“In one of our studies, two minutes after treatment with our agent, we can see the use of the electronic microscope that zinc forms long rollers that occupy the tubes,” says Walters. “The involvement of dentin tubes eliminates access to the nerves that are much deeper in the dentin.

In additional tests, Walters found that zinc oxide continued on tooth samples for at least one to two months. The goal is to develop a product that lasts for months or even years in the teeth, stopping hypersensitivity and combating bacteria on a continuous basis.

“Not only do you have the analgesic effect to block the tubes, but you also have a very low solubility factor that can slowly release the zinc in the tube to prevent the growth of streptococcus mutans and other bacteria,” Walters adds.

The journey from the laboratory to the shelves

With a promising nanocrystal of zinc in his hand, Walters asked for other NYU experts and beyond. His work diverted the attention of Southern Dental Industries (SDI), an Australian company that makes restorative dental materials, including the fluoride of silver diamine. The company bought a zinc technology permit and NYU works with them to develop it.

Closer to the home, Walters began working with Deepak Saxena, a professor of Molecular Pathobiology and director of research and entrepreneurship at Nyu College of Dentistry, who has a strong history of developing oral health products through Periomics Care, the start of the furnishings with Xin Li Liu Dentist.

“As soon as I met Marc and saw his enthusiasm, I decided that we need to work together and try to do this as a commercial product,” Saxena recalls.

The Walters team will further develop the wording and confirm its ability to prevent tubes in a series of dentin samples. Saxena’s team will also study the antimicrobial properties of the agent. Specifically, they will consider whether zinc creates a “suspension zone”-imposing the development of bacteria that cause decomposition to the area or even the killing of bacteria that come into contact with it.

“The mouth is full of bacteria. A compound must have good antimicrobial activity, which can result from ionic imbalance, zinc properties or fluoride,” says Saxena. “If a compound does not stain, it has good antimicrobial activity, plus the tubes blocking, then it should be successful in ceasing tooth decay and be aesthetically acceptable.”

Saxena and Walters are already planning the next phase of their research, which will include additional studies on the configuration, effectiveness, toxicity and life span of the Union. Finally, if these studies are going well, researchers and SDI will approach the FDA for permission to do a clinical trial.

A factor working to their advantage: Because zinc phosphate has long been used as a dental glue, it is known to be safe and the FDA has already approved it in other forms. These existing products can pave the way for faster research and development of a cavity treatment compared to unpaid elements, which can take many years to grow.

The future of dentistry

A new non-invasive treatment for cavities could help be a player-changer in oral health.

“We know that there is a need-and a market-for a product that stops the decomposition of teeth that is effective, cheap, easy to use and non-staining, given the increase in the global number of unprocessed cavities,” says Saxena.

Dentists could use it to heal the cavities without having to scrape or take out the cavity during preparation. Squirmy Kids would take less time in the dentist’s chair. Elderly adults who take cavities near the roots of their teeth, as their gums recede could have a new choice to stop sensitivity and decomposition into areas of difficult treatment. If they are safe and effective, maybe small quantities could even be available on pharmacy shelves and sold directly to consumers.

For Walters and Saxena, their goal is a future with less decomposition and teeth pain-and if their zinc studies confirm its potential, silver-colored teeth can be something of the past.