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'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

bbc.com

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Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#61

Post by popinman322 »

mrob wrote: post #46
poikniok wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fluoride decreases IQ significantly, be thankful that at least you are intelligent, albeit with bad teeth.

Regardless of whether fluoride is a serious risk or not, it seems ridiculous to take a topical drug systemically. Fluoride works by inorganic reactions with the teeth themselves. There's no benefit to flooding the whole body with it. It's reasonable to be suspicious of water fluoridation when the same benefit can be achieved with fluoridated toothpastes, which deliver the fluoride only where it's needed.

As someone who grew up on well water with no fluoride in it I can confirm that my teeth are looking fine after all these years of regular dental checkups and twice daily tooth-brushing.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#62

Post by MichailP »

brandon272 wrote: post #10
slimsag wrote: post #3

This is insanely cool, and I imagine there is no need for me to explain how useful this would be in comparison to the current dental approaches today. But is this technology ever going to be available to consumers? I remember reading about similar advancements almost three years ago and haven't heard anything related until now. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but I think we won't see this in practice for a Very Long Time™.

I actually find these articles depressing because it seems like nothing like this ever ultimately comes to fruition. I'm guessing these "breakthroughs" have always been just around the corner. I recall having a conversation with my dentist almost 20 years ago about things that were up and coming that were about to make our lives a lot easier in terms of saving and strengthening and building tooth enamel but none of w…

I had a similar talk with my dentist, where I was optimistic about future and he put me back into reality. He took a piece of paper and started drawing tooth in its complexity - nerves, blood supply, several completely different and 'living' layers (somehow I pictured teeth as something rather simple, like a piece of hard stone inserted into gums), and then he said, do you think a simple chemical can rebuild all this interplaying complexity?

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#63

Post by randcraw »

If this stuff can repair cavity holes, presumably it can replace enamel wherever it's been lost. If it could also extend enamel onto exposed tooth roots that lack enamel, that'd be great for us older folk with gum recession and vulnerable naked roots.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#64

Post by throwaway91111 »

sathackr wrote: post #41
poikniok wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fluoride decreases IQ significantly, be thankful that at least you are intelligent, albeit with bad teeth.

Source?

While I can't source the IQ claim, the evidence "showing" that fluoridation is safe to drink (as opposed to measuring by tooth health) is fairly scarce.

OTOH I've heard teeth are especially poor around Portland Oregon where they don't fluoride the water. I'd simply say the jury is still out.

I tend to think of iq claims specifically with a particularly large grain of salt: it's an index of society that people follow closely and is related to many, many factors.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#65

Post by olejorgenb »

mrob wrote: post #46
poikniok wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fluoride decreases IQ significantly, be thankful that at least you are intelligent, albeit with bad teeth.

Regardless of whether fluoride is a serious risk or not, it seems ridiculous to take a topical drug systemically. Fluoride works by inorganic reactions with the teeth themselves. There's no benefit to flooding the whole body with it. It's reasonable to be suspicious of water fluoridation when the same benefit can be achieved with fluoridated toothpastes, which deliver the fluoride only where it's needed.

That is a good point, but according to http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Member%20Center/FIles/fluorid... (p.10)

"Systemic fluorides can also give topical protection because ingested fluoride is present in saliva, which continually bathes the teeth providing a reservoir of fluoride that can be incorporated into the tooth surface to prevent decay."

It also says fluoride ingested during teeth-formation is incorporated into the teeth.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#68

Post by delecti »

vanattab wrote: post #56
sathackr wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source?

The practice of fluoride in drinking water does seem to be getting some push back of late. I did a quick google scholar search for "fluoride drinking water" and found some articles on both sides.

So does the practice of vaccinations, and without strong evidence that it's not safe, I'm inclined to take the lack of such evidence as significant, in light of the abundance of evidence that it seems to be helpful.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#69

Post by nether »

cowsandmilk wrote: post #45

Does anyone have good resources on non-behavioral factors that affect health of teeth? Growing up, I never brushed and did pretty much everything a dentist advises against. I never have had a cavity. With seemingly no consequences, it was extremely hard for me to find any motivation to change my behavior. I've often wondered whether there was something genetic, and today I wonder if maybe I won some microbiome lotter…

One of my dentists said yeah, there are genetic factors. Some people just have naturally lower levels of bacteria in their mouth.

Re: 'Tooth repair drug' may replace fillings

#70

Post by lancewiggs »

nether wrote: post #66

Serious question: is there any evidence that seemingly disruptive dental treatments like this are being suppressed by the dental industry?

No.

Like any new technology there are barriers entry erected by incumbent technology/equipment providers, but there is also a flow of new dentists and practices eager to try the latest technologies. In my visit to the dentist just now I was reminded yet again at the astonishing pace of technology change in their industry.

(Have advised early stage (IP) players in the space)

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