Now get nano diamonds instead of root canals to prevent tooth loss

Nanodiamonds are tiny particles formed as byproducts of diamond refining and mining which could be used for root canals to prevent tooth loss. Thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, they have been widely explored for use in dentistry, cancer therapy, imaging and regenerative medicine, among other applications.

During a root canal, inflamed dental pulp is removed and the empty space is then filled in with a polymer called gutta percha. It is used in part because it does not react within the body but has certain shortcomings, including a limited capacity to ward off infection and less-than-optimal rigidity.

Some root canals don't entirely remove the infection, and residual infection after root canals can lead to tooth loss.

To overcome those issues, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry developed and tested two types of reinforced gutta percha - one strengthened with nanodiamonds and another strengthened with nanodiamonds that had been pre-loaded with antibiotics.

Actual teeth were filled from human patients to evaluate the first type by Sue Vin Kim and Adelheid Nerisa Limansubroto, study co-authors who are UCLA Dentistry students and found that nanodiamond-enhanced gutta percha could be used to fill the tooth.

Like the traditional formulation, the nanodiamond-enhanced compound did leave small gaps in the canal - where harmful bacteria could grow - but the CT imaging showed that the enhanced material filled the space just as effectively as traditional gutta percha.

In the research's second phase, the scientists tested nanodiamonds that had been loaded with amoxicillin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to combat infection.

The drug-reinforced nanodiamonds, when combined with the gutta percha, effectively prevented bacteria growth. The study was published in the journal ACS Nano.