Your next trip to the dentist might not be as painful as your last one...at least on your teeth.
If you're avoiding the dentist because you're afraid of the physical pain that it will cause you to have a filling, then your prayers have been answered. Scientists at King's College London have come up with a new treatment that allows fillings to be done without any injections or painkillers, and helps the teeth to repair themselves.
The new treatment, which goes by the incredibly catchy name of Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER) according to The Guardian, uses an electric current to help stimulate minerals to return to the area rather than simply drilling and filling the tooth.
Professor Nigel Pitts of King's College said that this new treatment was revolutionary not only because of the fact that it requires no drilling, but also because it helps to prevent the need for further procedures on the tooth, given that fillings are temporary measures and need to be repaired regularly. That's not all though, as Dr. Pitts also added that apart from all those lovely things, the new treatment helps in "fighting tooth decay, [and] our device can also be used to whiten teeth". Talk about miracle cure...
No word yet on how much it will cost (although they claim it will be as cost-effective as current treatments), but it will be at least three years before it comes in to regular use, and we wouldn't advise leaving your next trip to the dentist for that long.
Via The Guardian. Main pic via Flickr/Illuminaut
