Slashdot Mirror


Fight Tooth Decay with Electricity

Erica Campbell writes "According to IsraCast, The Israeli Company Fluorinex Active has developed a new technology that can protect the tooth from cavities for 5 years with one simple electrical treatment. The company is currently working on a small device which, together with a gel, will impose an efficient ion exchange process through an Electro-chemical reaction in which fluor ions displace the Hydroxide ions at the outer layer of the tooth. This is intended to produce a new mineral layer with significantly improved chemical and physical resistance to the aggressive bacteria and the resulting acidic environment in the mouth."

1 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Wouldn't dentists fight this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually I've noticed a disturbing trend. Now that more and more people have "good teeth" (because a larger and larger % of the popullation has been brushing their teeth all their life), dentists are "diversifying."

    Whereas before they would only fix cavities, now they are telling me that I need a tissue graft from my pallet onto a receeding section of my gums, that I need cleanings every 6 months at least, and that more orthodontic work wouldn't hurt either. After getting second opinions, I've determined that most of what they are suggesting is unnecessary... Basically they are trying to maintain their revenue stream by going after more obscure and largely non-worrisome problems.

    Yes this is based on my own anecdotal experience (and talking to others), so it's a highly skewed opinion. But it seems to me that dentists are "inventing" new problems to treat and deal with, since the core problem (cavities, etc.) has been solved satisfactorily.