Restoration of damaged dental enamels using nano-scale iron-calcium phosphate minerals and femto-second pulsed near-IR lasers

Need: Dental enamel is an acellular and avascular mineralised tissue, containing more than 95% calcium phosphate mineral. Although, the underlying softer dentine is connected with the microvasculature via the soft tissue and, therefore, possesses intrinsic regenerative capacity for mineralisation, the superficial enamel lacks regenerative potential. Consequently, the oral acid induced erosive damage on enamel is irreversible, and leads to lesion formation, which if unattended, may lead to hypersensitivity and feeling of pain. Advanced stage of eroded enamel with symptoms of hypersensitivity might lead to tooth loss in adults. Traditional clinical strategies for the repair of acid-eroded enamel include the use of off-shelf toothpastes and BIS-GMA polymeric materials; the latter is structurally incompatible with natural enamel due to mismatched thermal expansion coefficient and mechanical properties. As a result this type of bonding leads to failure of restored enamel area in a challenging oral environment [1]. Modern toothpastes only provide temporary symptomatic relief from hypersensitivity. Till date, no long-term or permanent solution for treating early stages of acid erosion is on offer. Associated with acid erosion is also erosive wear which affects especially the ageing population and leads to lingual tooth thinning and weakening. Rebuilding the entire damaged tissue region remains a challenge.