The idea of whitening teeth has been around for decades, but it’s never been a major part of the healthcare system.
But that may be about to change.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a new treatment called a “bioengineered toothpaste” may be able to make the process of whitishing your teeth easier.
It is believed that the “bionic toothpaste,” which uses nanotechnology to mimic the natural action of saliva, could help treat dental caries, plaque and other dental problems.
The technology is similar to that used in the toothpaste industry to improve the quality of the ingredients, said study co-author and dentist Andrew P. J. Pescatelli, MD, PhD. The study, which included 1,737 adults, included participants who were randomly assigned to receive either a 3.5 percent daily dose of the bioengineered teethpaste, or the standard oral toothpaste.
“In our study, participants who took the bioengineering toothpaste had significantly higher mean and mean values for total and caries in their saliva, which was consistent with the increased prevalence of caries associated with plaque and plaque-related health conditions, as assessed by the American Dental Association’s plaque index,” Dr. Piscatelli said.
“Our data indicate that bioengineers may be well suited to improving the quality and quantity of oral and maxillary dental plaque in the future.”
The study was published online May 22, 2017 in the journal Archives of Oral Biology.
“We have developed a new type of toothpaste that has the potential to improve oral health and plaque disease,” said Dr. James M. Karpinski, MD , who led the research team and is a professor of dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco.
“While the bio-engineered version of toothpastes are designed to improve plaque health, we were interested in their effect on the amount of plaque in teeth,” Dr Karpinsky added.
“Using a toothbrush, we measured plaque content in the teeth.
The bioengineer toothpaste was shown to have a lower plaque content than standard oral oral toothpastors and showed no significant differences in plaque content between the two.”
The bio-engineering toothpasters have been used for decades to whiten teeth in dental clinics, dental hospitals and dental schools.
But Dr Piscato explained that their effectiveness is limited.
“It is unlikely that they would work well for all patients, given that they are not a substitute for oral hygiene, dental care and dental hygiene products,” Dr Pescato said.
To learn more about bioengineering teeth, visit the website for the University’s Bioengineering Dentistry Institute.