Diamonds Used In Root Canal Therapies, Prevents Future Infections

Dentists can now use diamonds to fix your damaged teeth, according to researchers from the American Chemical Society.

Dentists often use material like gold, silver and porcelain to fix your teeth, however, soon they will be using nanodiamonds, tiny microscopic diamonds, to do the job. Scientists have developed a new material with nanodiamonds, which has the potential to improve root canal procedures and to help prevent future infections, according to a news release.

Root canals are done by millions of people each year to clear out infected or damaged pulp, which is the soft part of the tooth that's made up of connective tissues. Gutta-percha, a rubber compound, is a common material that dentists use to fill the space. However, it is likely that a tooth can be reinfected post-op. To avoid this, dentists are now considering using nanodiamonds, which are more sturdy and can be modified with antimicrobial drug compounds, according to the news release.

The researchers developed potential root canal therapy based on the using of nanodiamonds. They combined nanodiamonds, gutta-percha and amoxicillin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, into a new material. After testing it in their lab, the researchers found that it was stronger than gutta-percha and it was also effective against Staphylococcus aureus, which is a bacteria that causes root canals to become reinfected.

The scientists claimed that future studies will determine whether this method works in clinical practice. 

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