Magnetically Maneuvered Bioceramic Nanostructures Cures Dental Hypersensitivity

Abstract

Dental hypersensitivity is an acute pain triggered by everyday stimuli, like extremes of temperature or pH, affecting more than one billion people worldwide. The condition occurs when dentinal tubules are exposed through enamel loss or cementum erosion of the tooth, stimulating nerves located in the peripheral odontoblast zone of the pulp. Existing treatments, such as sensitive toothpastes and adhesive resins, offer short-term relief and are often ineffective, leaving patients reliant on continuous interventions. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to cure dental hypersensitivity using nanoparticles made of magnetic bioactive glass called "CalBots." These sub-micron particles can be maneuvered up to 300 µm deep inside the dentinal tubules for both human and murine teeth, thereafter, triggering the formation of a biocompatible seal and thus preventing response of the exposed tubules and their nerve fibers to external stimuli. We demonstrate CalBots to be non-toxic to animals, at least up to a dosage of 550 mg/kg bodyweight of the animal. Our controlled animal trial experiments, featuring various control groups, demonstrated a remarkable 100% recovery from dental hypersensitivity within the treatment group. In contrast, none of the other groups, encompassing four control groups and one negative control group, exhibited any signs of recovery. The temporal efficacy of our CalBot-based treatment protocol surpasses that of current toothpaste-based solutions available in the market by providing pain relief for a duration orders of magnitude more than the standard 24-48 hours