Research students at the Queen Mary University, London have created a ‘fast dissolving bio active glass’ which will be used in a new toothpaste to help repair decayed teeth.
The researchers have developed versions of bioactive glass that release fluoride, forming a chemical that mimics tooth and bone mineral, and have put these to use in toothpaste and dental fillings that put back the lost mineral in decayed teeth.
Research in the Journal Physical Chemistry B has shown the potential of a glass that uses chlorine instead of fluorine. The chlorine atom and ions are much bigger, which enables them to incorporate much more of it into the glass.
BioMin Technologies Ltd have also launched the first product based on these Chloride-containing glasses; a re-mineralising toothpaste called “BioMinC.”
The toothpaste is designed for people who don’t want to use a Fluoride-containing toothpaste and for areas of the world where the water is naturally fluoridated. The idea is that the toothpaste can be used by anyone, to help prevent the decaying effects of acidic drinks and the like, but without using fluoride.