Grape seed extract found to contain powerful nutrients that prevent tooth decay

Grape seed extracts can promote teeth durability and stave off tooth decay, a recent study in the Journal of Dental Research revealed. According to a team of researchers at the University of Illinois at the Chicago College of Dentistry, natural compounds found in grape seed extracts fortify the teeth’s dentin. Dentin is the dental tissue beneath enamel, which is mostly made of collagen. The researchers also noted that grape seed extracts may increase the life span of dental fillings.

Dental fillings can be made up of amalgam or composite resin. Researchers said dental amalgams are usually made of a combination of heavy metals such as mercury, silver, tin, or other materials. Dental amalgams are known for their low cost and long life span of 10 to 15 years or higher. On the other hand, composite-resin fillings are more aesthetically-designed, as the plastic and fine glass particles allow dentists to use filling colors that match the patients’ teeth. However, composite fillings last only five to seven years.

A federal report found that more than 90 percent of adults aged 20 to 64 have cavities. In order to address cavities, dentists take out the decay or dental caries using a drill and plug it up with a filling. According to researchers, resins need to bind with the dentin during the filling process. The researchers noted that the area between the teeth and the resin, called interface, remained a weak point that often led to the breakdown of teeth restorations. The health experts said that secondary caries and margin breakdown were the top causes of failed adhesive restorations. In addition, the research team noted that adhesive interface breakdown remained a major hurdle despite major advances in dental restorative materials. (Related: Strengthen your teeth the natural through these dietary choices)

“When fillings fail, decay forms around it and the seal is lost. We want to reinforce the interface, which will make the resin bond better to the dentin. The interface can be changed through the use of new natural materials…The stability of the interface is key for the durability of such adhesive joints, and hence, the life of the restoration and minimizing tooth loss,” researcher Ana Bedran-Russo said in DailyMail.co.uk.

The recent study found that a combination of grape seed extracts and plant-based oligomeric proanthocyanidins prompted damaged collagen to repair itself. According to Bedran-Russo, interlocking the resin and collagen-rich dentin offered better adhesion and did not rely on moisture.

The study was funded by National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Oral health status in the U.S.

Oral and dental health issues remain a major burden in the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that nearly 18 percent of children aged five to 19 years old had untreated dental caries in 2015. The CDC also showed that more than a quarter of adults aged between 20 and 44 years had the same condition in 2015. In addition, CDC data revealed that 83 percent of patients aged two to 17 years made dental appointments in 2015, while 62 percent of adults aged 18 to 64 and 62.4 percent of seniors over 65 years did so in the same year.

Furthermore, the CDC noted that disparities in oral health continue to exist across ethnic groups in the U.S. According to the CDC, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives generally have the worst oral health of any racial and ethnic groups in the country. Mexican American and black, non-Hispanic children have the highest rates of tooth decay among young patients aged two to eight years old. On the other hand, blacks, non-Hispanics and Mexican Americans were nearly twice as likely to suffer untreated tooth decay compared with white, non-Hispanic adults.

Sources include: 

DailyMail.co.uk

News.UIC.edu

CDC.gov 1

CDC.gov 2

Is pine tree bark the key to healthier, stronger teeth?

 Good news for the 80 percent of us who have resin tooth fillings: a new extract can delay our dentist trips by years. Pine tree bark extract is shown to alter the chemical structure of our teeth, strengthening them, and allowing our fillings to bind to them better. This is achieved due to the compounds in the extract that strengthen dentine, the tissue layer beneath the enamel of the teeth.

Dr. Guido Pauli of the University of Illinois at Chicago says the “weak link in the chain of bonding is the interface between the resin and the dentine. We have clear evidence that our intervention materials change this interface much to the better.” Dr. Pauli is referring to his recent tests that suggest the tree bark extracts can strengthen dentine by as much as ten times. Considering the current lifespan of a resin tooth filling, these new findings suggest a ten-year extension.

Dr. Pauli, and his colleague Dr. Ana Bedran Russo, reached this conclusion after testing the extracts of the Chinese red pine, otherwise known as pinus massoniana. The extract was applied to human molars before examining how they deformed when introduced to various heavy forces. Dr. Pauli and Dr. Russo saw that pine bark extracts strengthened the dentine in teeth, which remained coated on the molars even a year after application. The authors also found that the dentine structure changed after being exposed to pine bark extract. Dentine was more compatible with the resin fillings, binding to them more tightly. “Extract-treated dentine show superior binding to resin fillings,” says Dr. Pauli.

Dr. Pauli is currently working on producing a refined extract that dentists can use on teeth after drilling, to strengthen bonding to the filling. However, he quickly adds, “we are not envisioning a pure compound; the chemistry is too complex.”

The results of this study are published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry.

The implication of these findings

Old dental practices saw people filling cracks in their teeth with metal. This led to the laughable but entirely factual phrase of “metal mouth.” Advancing technologies developed resin-type fillings, which were able to mimic the teeth’s natural color, and were generally safer than their metal counterparts. Still, resin tends to deteriorate after a few years. Replacing these dental fillings would need more drilling, costing healthy dental tissue.

Dentine is the calcified extracellular tissue of the teeth located just below the hard external enamel. “Resins have to bind to the dentin, and that interface is the weak point. This is why the restorations don’t last,” warns Dr. Pauli. By developing this natural preventive measure, it is hoped that people will be able to reduce the number of trips they make to the dentist. Furthermore, the pine bark extract would strengthen tooth tissue, promoting overall health.

Head of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr. Nigel Carter supplements this by saying that “fillings are susceptible to wear-and-tear and can occasionally be in need of repair and replacement. Having fillings which have a longer lifespan could be more comforting to the patient, as the procedure will have to be carried out less often.”

Dannel Ferrira of the University of Mississippi says that Dr. Pauli’s research is “a totally unexpected and novel application. It is really an important breakthrough.” (RELATED: Follow more news on holistic dentistry at HolisticDentistry.news.)

Some other facts to consider

It is estimated that 80 percent of the American population has dental fillings. These are standard restorative dentistry treatments meant to repair minimal tooth decay or fractures. These dental fillings can even improve bite.

Enamel loss is the main reason for tooth decay, leading to an increased sensitivity. This can cause relatively painful sensations. Tooth sensitivity caused by enamel loss is typically treated with a dental filling.

Sources:

DailyMail.co.uk

CEN.ACS.org