White Paper

Tooth enamel is an extremely strong material, the strongest tissue in the human body, but it must withstand a lot of physical, mechanical and chemical attack on a day-to-day basis.

If the enamel wears, then teeth can become sensitive which causes pain and discomfort and also leads to a higher risk of tooth decay, or caries. Even after a tooth is filled there is still a risk of caries developing at the tooth/filling interface. 

Various solutions to these issues have been developed and researched, ranging from total physical replacement for teeth (crowns, implants etc.) through to repair of damaged tooth areas and preventative solutions such as bioactive materials to strengthen or restore the tooth enamel in the first instance. 

In this paper we will discuss what role inorganics can play in restoring and maintaining tooth functionality and the advantages that inorganics can provide in this area for developing technologies.