Breakthrough Dental Adhesive Could Halt Billions in Tooth Decay Costs
A Brazilian-born dentist and researcher has created the world’s first long-acting antibacterial adhesive resin for dental restorations, potentially preventing millions of caries lesions and saving billions in dental costs. Developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the technology could transform not only dentistry but a wide range of medical and public health applications.
While teaching at the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Dentistry, Brazilian-born dentist Fernando Luis Esteban Florez, DDS, PhD, MS, began developing an idea that could revolutionize dental care. Determined to stop the secondary decay that forms around the edges of dental restorations, he partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in eastern Tennessee, one of the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) world-class research facilities, to bring his vision to life.
The result: the world’s first long-acting antibacterial adhesive resin for dental restorations. Most fillings and crowns fail after 5 to 7 years due to bacterial leakage at the margins, requiring replacement. Esteban Florez, a tenured associate professor, saw an opportunity to reduce these failures and the estimated 60 million procedures they cause annually, which cost patients more than $5 billion each year.
Working alongside Sharukh Khajotia, BDS, MS, PhD, associate dean for research and innovation at OU, Esteban Florez submitted a proposal through the DOE Office of Science’s User Facilities program. With support from ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and High Flux Isotope Reactor, they engineered titanium dioxide nanoparticles that release reactive oxygen species, potent antimicrobials to which bacteria cannot develop resistance. Dispersed in dental adhesive resin, these particles remained evenly distributed and powerfully antibacterial without requiring light activation.
The technology has potential applications in tooth whitening, medical devices, and even antimicrobial paints for public spaces. Discussions are already underway to bring this patented innovation to market. Click here to read more.
