These days root canals involve pouring natural latex produced from gutta-percha trees into the drilled out cavity of infected teeth. The material is biocompatible, but has suboptimal mechanical properties and can lead to leakages. Moreover, the area can become reinfected requiring repeated procedures. Now researchers at UCLA have combined nanodiamonds with gutta-percha to create a new composite material that may turn out to be a much better option for root canals than gutta-percha alone.
The nanodiamond-gutta-percha compound has amoxicillin, an antibiotic, embedded within. The team tested it by using Staphylococcus aureus bacterial growth inhibition assays, showing that the material resists infections. Additionally, it has shown improved mechanical properties and the ability to fill the cavity using techniques applicable to dental practice.
Study in ACS Nano: Nanodiamond–Gutta Percha Composite Biomaterials for Root Canal Therapy…
