AMN8: Silver nano particles in gel solution to fight tooth decay

22 March, 2017

Dr Carla Meledandri, principal investigator of the MacDiarmid Institute at the University of Otago, has found a way to use charged antibacterial silver nanocomposite structures to sterilise dentine prior to the placement of a dental restorative material.

Research paper: Enhanced Penetration of Silver Nanocomposite Assemblies into Dentine Using Iontophoresis: Toward the Treatment of Dental Caries

Dr Carla Meledandri promises that the photograph of decaying teeth is the only ‘gross’ one that she will show this morning, reports Charles Anderson in his second blog post from AMN8, the advanced materials and nanotechnology conference hosted by The MacDiarmid Institute, in Queenstown.

The first day of AMN8 kicked off with scientists from around the country and the world all keen to share some of the remarkable research they have been conducting.

Dr Carla Meledandri’s breakthrough is all about teeth. More specifically, bad teeth. Hence the photograph of decay, which she promises will the only one she’ll show. It is an exercise to show how widespread decay and gum disease is – one in three New Zealanders suffer from it.

The University of Otago chemist was already working with silver nanoparticles when she met up with a dentist as part of a faculty event for new staff. The goal was to find out both their work might interrelate...

Read the full article at The Spinoff