Technique May Eliminate Drill-and-Fill Dental Care

Technique May Eliminate Drill-and-Fill Dental Care

For over a hundred years, dentists have been repairing cavities by removing the decayed tooth tissue with a drill and filling the hole with metal or plastic material. Depending on the cavity’s depth, this method can be unpleasant to downright painful for the patient, and it has to be repeated periodically.

“You're really in that cycle of repair and replacement¹ for the rest of the tooth's life,” said Rebecca Moazzea, senior lecturer at King's College in London.

A damaged tooth’s enamel² can be replaced naturally, but the process is too slow to stop the work of bacteria that build up in tiny cracks. Now, a British company called Reminova has developed a method for speeding up this natural remineralization of early-stage cavities.

“We've just found a way to make that a much faster process," said Jeff Wright, Reminova's chief executive officer. "Driving healthy calcium³ and phosphate minerals into your enamel, and through a natural process, it will bind⁴ on and add to the enamel that's there."

Here's how it works: After cleaning the early-stage cavity with a method that does not require drilling, the dentist covers it with a mineral solution and applies an electrical current that is too weak for the patient to feel. The deposited mineral quickly hardens, completely filling the cavity.

Researchers say this method could be especially useful for children.

“If children have a better experience of going to the dentist, so they haven't had necessary drilling and injections for routine fillings, then they'll be much more positive in later life and probably become much more regular patients," said Dr. Barry Quinn, a consultant⁵ at King's College.

Dentists point out that the new method is most efficient on early-stage cavities, which makes regular dental checkups essential. The whole treatment lasts about as long as a regular drill-and-fill procedure.

Researchers say they are confident that the new method can be further developed for treating later-stage cavities. And they remind us that regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste helps prevent cavities in the first place.

1 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

2 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

3 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。

4 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

5 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。