New smart dental filling material ‘may offer new way to prevent cavities’

A new form of dental filling material featuring drug-storing particles could offer significant benefits in the prevention of recurrent cavities and tooth decay.

Researchers from the University of Toronto have developed a new method of creating filling material loaded with tiny particles made by self-assembly of antimicrobial drugs, which prevent bacteria from getting under fillings and causing recurrent caries.

This can be achieved with a combination of drugs and silica glass that organise themselves on a molecule-by-molecule basis to maximise drug density, allowing 50 times more drug content to be contained in the particles than is currently possible.

The team aims to test these new drug-storing particles in dental fillings and monitor their performance when attacked by bacteria and saliva. If successful, it could pave the way for an innovative smart material capable of delivering stronger, longer-lasting fillings.

Professor Yoav Finer of the University of Toronto said: "We know very well that bacteria specifically attack the margins between fillings and the remaining tooth to create cavities. Giving these materials an antimicrobial supply that will last for years could greatly reduce this problem."

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