Say goodbye and good riddance to root canals and bonding on your teeth. Old, painful methods of treatment are out and lasers are in.
Researchers at Harvard University came up with the innovative technique.
The researchers contend that their studies show that lasers can be used to regrow parts of people’s teeth. “In a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, lead researcher Praveen Arany and colleagues detailed how they used focused laser light therapy on rats to stimulate the growth of lost dentin, the calcified tissue that comprises teeth. They noted that if the therapy proves effective in humans, it could potentially eliminate the need for crowns, fillings and other complex dental operations in the future,” according to Fox.
Fox explains how the lasers would work and what factors are important in figuring out the level of success stemming from their use, “The procedure’s success all revolves around a native protein called transforming growth factor beta, or TGF-beta. During preliminary tests of dentin tissues, the researchers discovered that this growth factor changed very drastically when introduced to a focused beam of light. Further analysis revealed that when hit with light, TGF-beta actually stimulated the stem cells already present in dentin. To test their light therapy’s effectiveness, the researchers created a group of rats with tooth defects, by using a drill to remove pieces of their dentin. They then shined a laser on their exposed tooth structures and soft tissues underneath it. Sure enough, after 12 weeks, the team observed that new dentin had formed in the rats’ teeth. Given their trial’s success, Arany and his team hope to test this type of dentin regeneration in human clinical trials, which could potentially alter modern dentistry.”
Countless Americans who dread the agony of a root canal will certainly welcome this new laser driven technology.