By Dixie Somers
Dentistry, like many other medical fields, is beginning to adopt modern methods that were once the stuff of science fiction. The advent of nanotechnology. Is poised to transform your dental practice. As research into these tiny machines and their use continues, you’ll soon see some surprising and satisfying possibilities.
New Materials
Nano-resin fillings include zirconia and silica for additional hardness, but they’ve been around for about a decade. Other new compounds being researched include an adhesive made of tiny carbon nanotubes proportionately stronger than steel. Nanoparticles with antimicrobial properties could be incorporated into your basic dental rinses to promote healing, while nanoparticles could help replace enamel and dentin in cracked teeth. Tiny dental fixtures known as quantum dots could emit a warning light at the first detection of cancer cells. Although all of these things are being developed, the time taken up by clinical trials and the potential expense of new technologies will delay their wide-scale use. Rest assured, though, they are coming.
Nanobots
These are essentially tiny robots. As microelectronics evolves, smaller and smaller machines become possible that are programmable and coordinate with one another. You’ll be able to monitor and direct them via computer. Nanobots in dentistry could be used to scrape plaque, clean diseased gums, and eliminate dead teeth down to the roots. Another class of nanobots called assemblers could implant anchors for false teeth, map out oral topography and even create crowns. Much of what you consider delicate surgery could be done by micro-machines that not only are less invasive to patients, but can even be multiplied or replaced by tiny replicators that build other nanobots.
Nanomedicine
This is the science of using tiny devices and materials to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses. Crawling nanobots could send back signals used to create digital images more revealing than standard X-rays. Other tiny devices could sample tissue or deliver antibiotics, anesthetics, and other medicines directly to where they are needed. Nanobots could be employed to reshape bone and tissue for repositioning teeth. Microscopic tools will enable you to see, and function, at a microscopic level. Routine procedures such as teeth cleanings and chemical-free whitening would become essentially automated for you with nanobots to do the actual work.
These scientific developments are already ushering in the age of nano-dentistry. While the technology is still in its infancy, the versatility of these micron-sized devices in dental and periodontal care mean greater productivity and accuracy for you, while affording your patients reduced discomfort and possibly lower prices. In both these ways, nano-dentistry will be of immense benefit to your practice.
Dixie Somers is a freelance writer focusing on new trends in business and technology.