A Drug Used In Alzheimer's Treatment Could Boost Tooth Regrowth, Study Finds

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Tooth fillings will soon be history as scientists have discovered that a drug already used in Alzheimer's patients can repair cavities and aid tooth re-growth. The researchers at King's College London found that the drug "Tideglusib" stimulates the stem cells found in the pulp of teeth which triggers the generation of new dentine.

Teeth have the capability to generate a dentine if the pulp becomes exposed due to a trauma or infection, but can only naturally make a very thin layer which is not enough to fill the deep cavities caused by tooth decay.

Tideglusib is used to shut down an enzyme called GSK-3 which stops the process of dentine formation. The procedure involves soaking tiny biodegradable sponge in the drug, which is inserted it into a cavity, where it repairs the damage and triggers growth of dentine within six weeks, according to The Telegraph.

The cavity is covered with a cap made from a glass compound. The small sponges are made of collagen which allows them to melt after sometime, leaving the repaired tooth and the glass cap as the drug does not aid the re-growth of enamel.

 "The simplicity of our approach makes it ideal as a clinical dental product for the natural treatment of large cavities, by providing both pulp protection and restoring dentine," the lead author of the study, Professor Paul Sharpe of the Dental Institute said.

Using a drug that is already tested in several clinical trials for alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) will make it easier to introduce the dental treatment into clinics. It is estimated that the drug could be used on people within three to five years.

Dentists currently use cements or dental amalgam to treat large cavities in the teeth, but the cement do not disintegrate and remain in the tooth, thus the normal mineral level of the tooth is not completely restored.

This new technique could reduce the need for fillings with cements, and also decrease the incidents of tooth replacement due to infection caused by the cements. Dentists often remove an area of the tooth that is larger than what is affected when fillings fail or due to infection, which will eventually need to be extracted after numerous treatments.

Tideglusib was intended to aid the re-growth of brain cells but has proved ineffective in both Alzheimer's and PSP and researchers wanted to check if the drug, which stimulates stem cells, would work on teeth, according to Mail Online.

"This is an extremely interesting and novel approach which shows great promise and we will look forward to it being translated into clinical application that could undoubtedly be a progressive step in the treatment of dental disease, according to Dr Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation.

He added that creating a more natural way for the tooth to repair itself could not only eliminate these issues, but could also be a less invasive treatment option for patients.

Although, the technique has only been tested in the teeth of mice, Tideglusib is reported to be safe in clinical trials of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The tests in mice showed that when the drug is applied directly in the tooth cavities, it stimulated re-growth of dentine. The procedure filled the whole injury site of the mice.

The scientists noted that the treatment could be fast-tracked into dental practices. They published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.