New Bioactive Peptide Coating Shows Promise in Preventing Caries Lesions

Patients with dental anxiety may find it easier to get comfortable in the dental chair thanks to the development of a bioactive peptide that would replace traditional methods of treating caries. Rather than using a handpiece to remove decayed tissue and restoring the lesion with composite resin, this new bioactive material would be applied on tooth surfaces to prevent new caries and remineralize existing lesions.

The study, “Constructing an Antibiofouling and Mineralizing Bioactive Tooth Surface to Protect against Decay and Promote Self-Healing,” published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, demonstrated the promise of the bioactive peptide coating. Compared to the natural antimicrobial H5 peptide, the new peptide — which was tested on slices of human molars — “adsorbed more strongly to the tooth surface, killed more bacteria and inhibited their adhesion, and better protected teeth from demineralization.”

Basing their new coating on H5, investigators added a phosphoserine group to one end of H5 in an effort to attract more calcium ions for tooth repair.