Electrokinetically Treating Teeth
The numerous applications for this method include making normal enamel (sound, non-carious) caries resistant (by blocking diffusion pathways for cariogenic acid), enhancing tooth whitening, remineralizing teeth, and delivering dental therapeutics.
Researchers
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systems and methods for delivering substances into nanoporous mineralized tissues
United States of America | Granted | 8,905,759
Technology
The technology described here has the potential to improve upon existing dental treatments, by facilitating the diffusion and transport of particles through nano and micropores using electrokinetic pumping. Electrokinetic pumping takes advantage of electrically-driven fluid flow to controllably and efficiently transport ionic solutions through a tooth’s enamel and dentin, allowing for penetration of up to 100 um into dental enamel.
Problem Addressed
Teeth are composed of enamel, which contains nanoscale pores, and dentin, which contains microscale pores. These pores behave as channels that allow very small particles to flow through teeth. Current methods to whiten teeth and deliver nutrients to decaying teeth are limited by the small size of these dental pores. The most effective method available for overcoming this limitation is etching the teeth with acid prior to administering a therapeutic or whitening agent; however, this only increases the penetration depth of the enamel by 10 um. An effective method of delivering remineralizing, whitening, and anti-cariogenic agents to greater depths in teeth would solve both therapeutic and cosmetic challenges.
Advantages
- Enables various molecules to infiltrate dental enamel.
- Enables delivery of molecules previously considered to be above the critical threshold (MACT) to teeth.
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