A new composite material, which is made up of silver and calcium nanoparticles, could work as a dental filling that kills remaining bacteria so that patients don’t have to make a return trip to the dentist.
Dental fillings replace the part of the tooth drilled out inorder to remove decay. But if any bacteria remains, the cavity can grow right under the filling, Discovery News reported.
The new material, developed by researchers at theUniversity of Maryland
Due to their small size, the silver nanoparticles can invade the cellular structure of bacteria and other microorganisms and kill them. Calcium phosphate, also included in the composite, is responsible for building the tooth back up.
There have been questions raised about implementing these materials into toothpaste or mouthwash, but the scientific community isn’t ready to get on board with that just yet.
There is a lot of concern coming from scientists and researchers about the possible harmful affects of human consumption of the particles. Further testing will be conducted on volunteers to sort through the health concerns.
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