Could Your Dental Cavities Ever Fix Themselves? It Might Just Be Possible One Day
It can feel like some animals have an advantage over humans when it comes to their teeth. You know how rats need to regularly gnaw on something? That's because their incisors are kind of like your fingernails. They just keep on growing, so if there's any damage to their teeth, it quickly grows out. Sounds rather convenient, doesn't it? Shark's teeth are continually falling out and being regrown. In fact, some types of sharks might replace 35,000 teeth during their lifetime. Humans don't quite have this ability, so anytime you notice a cavity you will naturally need to get to your local dental clinic as soon as you can. Of course, an untreated cavity can lead to further decay and even the eventual loss of the tooth. Did you know that soon there might be a way for the body to repair cavities on its own (with a little help)?
An Unintended Purpose
It's fascinating that Viagra was originally developed as a treatment for angina, high blood pressure, and various other cardiovascular issues. Now it's largely used as a treatment for… well, you know. Shortly after its creation, Viagra was found to be effective in treating this "other" issue, although this was not its original intended purpose. It's a similar story with Tideglusib. This is a drug that was originally developed as a treatment for a variety of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease. All very interesting, but how exactly could this affect your teeth?
Self-Repair
An unintended side effect of Tideglusib has been discovered. Researchers discovered that the drug can in fact stimulate stem cells in the pulp of your teeth, causing them to regrow lost dentine, which is the dense bulk of a tooth. It's hoped that one day an application of the drug will replace the need to have a cavity filled. Your teeth will simply be stimulated into healing themselves.
Maybe One Day
It's important to realise that that the whole process is still somewhat speculative, and that this is not necessarily a fix for all types of dental ailments. For example, it would not be possible to regrow a missing tooth using this process. It might also be the case that a large cavity will still require a traditional filling.
So while one day your dentist might be able to simply give you some medication to fix a cavity, it's important to acknowledge that prevention is better than a cure. This means that it's much better to visit your dentist regularly and stop those cavities from ever forming! For more information, talk to a professional like TLC Dental.
Share