Scientists create tooth-on-a-chip technology for better fillings
Health & Wellbeing
The device could help dentists create bespoke fillings and aid cavity prevention in the future
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Spotted: Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University have created a chip that allows dentists to test teeth before filling cavities. The chip, the first of its kind in the dentistry industry, could help dentists create personalised solutions for patients in the future.
The device is the latest in the field of organs-on-chips. The chips help scientists understand how body parts are affected by certain substances, and in this case, the chip mimics a cavity, allowing dentists to test how they are created.
The university team placed a sliver of a molar tooth between two rubber, transparent slides. They then etched channels in the slides so fluids could flow to the molar, and using a microscope, could then monitor how the tooth reacts to specific minerals and bacteria.
The team hopes the miniature tooth chip will help dentists create personalised and more efficient solutions for patients in the future.
8th January 2020
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