This is an extension of the work that my close friend Larry Hench invented. Look up Bioglass on Wikipedia. The workers in this study have figured out a way to accelerate what Dr. Hench already had developed. Nice find.
"When we repair a tooth by putting in a filling, that tooth enters a cycle of drilling and refilling as, ultimately, each 'repair' fails." That is so true. First the mercury-silver amalgams, then cusps breaking off structurally damaged molars and bicuspids, then replacing older crowns with new ones after gums recede with age and caries undermine them, etc, etc. (sigh) But I guess it beats not losing teeth from lack of care. My dentist of fifty years claims there's never a reason to lose a tooth. So far he is right.
You said a mouthful ;^) Unfortunately there are insidious side effects of several of the common procedures that efffect long term health. (Loss of teeth would likely have been worse.) Hopefully this procedure will not have the negative side effects and long term health will improve.
Naw, a whole new line of dentistry and profit will ensue. Many people don't go to the dentist because they don't like the Novocain shot. This will eliminate that as well as the drilling. Dentists should find this electrifying!
Hmmmm... interesting take. I like the idea. Hopefully you are right. I have paid a lot of money to my dentist for fillings, root canals and crowns over the years. I wish this had been around long ago.
Probably won't have any impact on root canals - unless the rebuild on the tooth is done when the cavity is small and not close to the root. Otherwise, when the infection is deep enough, the canal is still required to remove the infected portion. But otherwise, I think this may be some of the best news in dentistry since implants.
Unfortunately there are insidious side effects of several of the common procedures that efffect long term health. (Loss of teeth would likely have been worse.) Hopefully this procedure will not have the negative side effects and long term health will improve.
Could a broken bone be repaired too?