We have seen ads on the TV promoting their toothpaste and toothbrushes who claim solving oral health problems. In reality, a tooth cannot heal itself and no matter how much your toothpaste talks about cavity protection there it is also advisable to get a regular dental checkup. The reason most people shy away from trips to the dentist is that they expect it to be painful or they assume the dentist is just going to extract the tooth! Cavities are one of the most common oral issues and require immediate dental procedures in order to prevent it from worsening. Dentists, as a matter of fact, try to save the affected tooth. Today with modern technology forming the base of every industry, personalized dentistry is possible. What this means is, like personalized medicine is patient-based, personalized dentistry will follow the same route.
Tooth-on-a-chip and How does it work
There are various types of fillings material that are ideal for filling a tooth cavity. For instance, while ceramic may be fitting for one person’s teeth, it may not be ideal for the next. Considering this researcher Dr. Luiz Bertassoni of OHSU, put together a miniature device that requires the dentist to collect a tiny piece of tooth and positions them in between transparent rubber slides carved with teeny channels through which fluids flow. It mimics the tooth with a cavity and the bacteria and fluids pass between the opening of the cavity and the inner tooth. As the tooth comes in contact with these fluids, scientists observe it using a microscope. The device aims to give dentists a real-time insight into how a tooth can react to diverse filling materials
The researcher comments on how in the future dentists can get a detailed view of the way a dental filling material will interact with the tooth. This will, in turn, help the dentist pick the best filling for the patient.
The Future of Dentistry
Personalized dentistry is to soon become a reality in the coming years. With breakthrough technology like the Tooth-on-a-chip’ device, scientists can fathom the inner functioning of tooth cells in their natural setting. It could be used for research purposes and to gather crucial data on how teeth are formed and they biologically react to all kinds of injuries and treatments. This will pave way for major developments in the field of dentistry, allowing it to become more patient-friendly and convenient.
