Pain-Free Alternative to Dentist Drill Developed

You can enjoy a painless visit to your dentist in future after a team of American researchers revealed that they have developed a new device that could be a pain-free alternative to the dentists' drill and can also increase the lifespan of the fillings.

The new device created by researchers from the University of Missouri in the US is like an electric toothbrush and cleans out cavities with high energy gas and liquid particles.

Tooth Decay - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Tooth decay in toddlers, children and adults, also called dental caries, is a bacterial infection causing demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues of the teeth.

It does more than cut through tooth decay - it's called a non-thermal argon plasma brush (NAPB) and as it shoots out electrically charged particles, it kills bacteria instantly.

Bacteria are the cause of tooth decay because the acids they produce can burn through tooth enamel - the hardest tissue in the body.

These bacteria feed on sugar which is why sweet foods promote tooth decay, the Mirror reported.

Tooth Discoloration Introduction
Tooth discoloration or staining is caused commonly due to smoking, some medicines and poor dental hygiene.

It's because of the toughness of enamel that conventional dentists' drills cause pain.

To penetrate enamel, drills set up strong vibrations throughout the tooth including the pulp where there are sensitive nerve endings. Vibrations from the drill set these nerves on edge.

Toothache | Dental pain |Tooth pain
A toothache is a pain in or around a tooth that occurs due to various reasons that irritate the nerve supplied to tooth. Though Toothache is not life-threatening, it can get worse if left untreated.

But with the NAPB there's no drilling and therefore less discomfort for frightened patients because the highly sensitive nerves at the centre of the tooth are spared.

While the average filling lasts around 10 years, fillings done with NAPB are 60 percent stronger meaning longer times between fillings.

Source-ANI