Dentist Near Me Alabama Fairhope

End to Cavities

A cold drink, like Iced Tea, is something refreshing to look forward to during summertime.  But if you have sensitive teeth, ice-cold drinks can cause a painful jolt in the mouth.  Sensitive teeth can be treated, but often current approaches don’t last very long.  There is, however, a new material with an extract from green tea that could help to fix the problem and also help to prevent cavities in susceptible patients! 

Tooth sensitivity happens when the protective layers of the teeth are worn away, exposing the bony tissue called dentin.  This tissue contains microscopic hollow tubes that, when exposed to hot and cold liquids or food, contact the underlying nerve endings in the teeth and cause pain.  When the dentin is unprotected, it also can lead to cavity formation.  The tubes can be plugged with a mineral called nanohydroxyapatite.  The problem is, that this material doesn’t stand up well to everyday brushing, grinding, or acid-producing bacteria.  Dentist Near Me Alabama Fairhope

Research went into encapsulating nanohydroxyapatite, green tea polyphenol, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  This can stand up to acid and wear and tear.  EGCG has already been shown to fight Streptococcus mutans.  Testing was done on extracted wisdom teeth and showed that the material was able to plug the dentin tubes.  It was able to stand up to tooth erosion and brushing.  It also showed low toxicity.  Based on all this research, it is being said that the material could indeed be a good candidate for combating tooth sensitivity and cavities!   Dentist Near Me Alabama Fairhope

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