Current treatments for dentin hypersensitivity, including desensitizers and dentinal tubule blockers, provide patients with only temporary relief. A permanent solution would be one that provides long-term occlusion of exposed dentinal tubules and mineralization of peritubular dentin. A team of researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle has developed a means to achieve exactly this goal. Their solution has shown promising results and can be used in various areas of oral care.
“We see patients with hypersensitive teeth, but we really can't help them,” study co-author Dr. Sami Dogan, assistant professor of restorative dentistry at the university, said in a press release. “There are many solutions available on the market, but they are all temporary. They focus on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. After a couple of weeks, a few months, my patients come back to see me complaining of the same problem,” he explained.
In an attempt to address the problem of dentin hypersensitivity, researchers used a specially formulated peptide derived from amelogenin, which binds to calcium and phosphate ions, the main components of dental mineral, to create new mineral microlayers on exposed dentin. The process was designed to be biomimetic, resembling the process by which teeth are formed in the body.
When testing the mineral layers, the researchers noticed that the peptide binds well to the dentin surface, attracting calcium and phosphate ions, forming a hydroxyapatite mineral layer. The resulting layer occluded the dentinal tubules and promoted dentin restoration by remineralizing the surface, resulting in a well-integrated and durable layer.
In addition, the mineral layer had a noticeable hardness, and the researchers hypothesized that these layers were able to withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses typical of the oral cavity.
Different forms and delivery methods
Commenting on how the peptide could be applied, study co-author Dr Hanson Fong, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the university, said: “There are many different formulations and delivery methods being developed.” In preclinical trials, participants were given dental lozenges that have a calcium and phosphate core and are coated with a peptide-containing flavor. The team has also developed peptide-based formulas for products such as mouthwashes, dental gels, tooth whiteners and toothpastes.
The researchers concluded that their peptide-based remineralization procedure “could lay the foundation for the development of highly effective oral care products leading to new biomimetic treatments for a wide range of diseases associated with demineralization, and in particular offers a powerful long-term solution to the problem of dentin hypersensitivity.”