Alzheimer’s drug could mark an end to painful fillings – ‘helping to REGROW teeth naturally’

A DRUG used to treat Alzheimer's disease could be used to help teeth repair themselves and put an end to painful fillings, research has found.

Following trauma or an infection, the inner, soft part of a tooth - called the pulp - can become exposed and infected.

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Teeth can produce a thin layer of a bony tissue called dentine to protect themselves, but it is not enough to repair large cavities.

Instead, man-made fillings are used by dentists to fill holes in teeth.

And the process of getting a filling is one that can make even the toughest person squirm, especially when the dentist gets out fear-inducing drill.

But, scientists from the Dental Institute at Kings College London have found a new way to stimulate the stem cells in the tooth to produce new dentine in large cavities using part of a drug, called Tideglusib, that has been used in clinical trials to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Lead author of the study, Professor Paul Sharpe, said: "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.

"In addition, using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease provides a real opportunity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics."

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As part of the research, the team applied low doses of an enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase to teeth using biodegradable collagen sponges.

They found that over time, the sponge degraded and new dentine replaced in, leading to a complete and natural repair of the tooth.

It took just six weeks for the tooth the be almost completely repaired.

The team hopes that as the compounds used to help the tooth repair itself have been used in clinical studies before, the treatment could be fast tracked to practices - which is excellent news for those who are scared of the dentist.