A natural solution to sensitive teeth
Glossary
| Biocomposite | Composite Material characterised by:
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| Biological Apatite | The biological form of hydroxyapatite found in living teeth and bone that contain impurities, mostly carbonate, which introduce defects into the hydroxyapatite crystal. |
| Biomineralisation | Biomineralization is the process by which minerals (usually nanoparticular) are deposited in an organized fashion in a macromolecular matrix (either cellular or extracellular) of living organisms, resulting in the formation of a functional biocomposite. |
| Cementum | A specialized bony substance covering the root of a tooth. The principle role of cementum within the tooth is to serve as a medium by which the periodontal ligaments can attach to the tooth for stability. |
| Cold Air Stimulus (pain response measurement for clinical trials) | A pain response measurement method for dentine hypersensitivity clinical trials. Cold air is blasted onto the affected sensitive areas by dental unit air syringe for 1 second. The subject indicates on Visual Analogue Scale (1 - no pain to 10 - extreme pain) the level of discomfort felt. |
| Demineralisation | The removal of mineral salts from calcified tissues for example by acid production by cariogenic bacteria. (See Remineralisation) |
| Dental Repair | Surface restoration, enamel repair, dental repair implies the build up of tooth material that was not present before. (See Neomineralisation) |
| Dentin | Dentin is found in the inner part of teeth and forms the main body of it. The dentin is covered by the cementum in the root area and by the enamel in the crown area. Dentin is composed of approximately 70% hydroxyapatite. Human dentin is not as hard as the enamel but harder than the cementum or bone. |
| Dentin Tubuli | Within the dentin, there are numerous channels that radiate outwards from the pulp called the dentin tubuli. The number and the diameter decrease from the pulp to the enamel-dentin border. There is a complex network of nerves in the pulp that penetrate into the dentin tubuli. |
| Enamel | The hard outer substance of teeth, made up of 97% hydroxyapatite. The enamel is the hardest, the densest and most mineralised substance in our body. |
| Fluoride and caries | Fluoride is a well know substance for dental caries prevention. Specifically it has the following effects:
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| Ginigivitis | Inflammation of the gums, characterized by redness and swelling |
| Hydroxyapatite | A complex phosphate of calcium Ca5(PO4)3OH that occurs as a mineral and is chemically similar to the mineral component of bones and hard tissues in mammals. |
| Nanometer / Nanosize | One billionth (10-9) of a meter |
| Nanotechnology | The branch of engineering and science that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers (especially with the manipulation of individual molecules). The two fundamentally different approaches to nanotechnology are termed 'top down' and 'bottom up'. 'Top-down' refers to making nanoscale structures by machining and etching techniques, whereas 'bottom-up', or molecular nanotechnology, applies to building organic and inorganic structures atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule. Nanit®active is produced from a “bottom-up” process. |
| Neomineralisation | A term to describe the unique action of Nanit®active where new tooth like material is formed through nucleation of bio-analogues calcium and phosphate. Nanit®active, effectively, deposits itself on the tooth surface and acts as a seed for calcium and phosphate ions (the building blocks for teeth) that are present in the saliva. |
| Periodontitis | Disease of the periodontium characterized by inflammation of the gums, resorption of the alveolar bone, and degeneration of the periodontal membrane |
| Professional periodontal treatment | This includes scaling and root planning and pocket elimination surgery. |
| Remineralisation | The addition of minerals to a tooth to replace minerals lost, usually following acid demineralisation of tooth structure. In contrast to neomineralisation, no new tooth material is formed. Fluoride promotes remineralisation. |
| Saliva | Saliva is produced in and secreted from the salivary glands. It is a fluid containing: water, electrolytes, mucus and various enzymes and peptides. The most important electrolytes being calcium, phosphate, bicarbonate. These are responsible for neutralising the acid produced by bacteria when metabolising sugars in the mouth and replacing the lost minerals in the acid attacked enamel. |
| Sensitive teeth | Pain is caused when the narrow, microscopic channels (dentin tubuli) conduct hot / cold and sweet / sour stimuli towards the nerves in the inner tooth. The tooth neck is usually exposed when gum recedes. This can be caused by the natural aging process or also through bacterial infection like periodontitis or gingivitis. Other major causes include excessive tooth brushing, flossing, professional periodontal treatment, post bleaching sensitivity. |
| Tactile Stimulus (pain response measurement for clinical trials) | A pain response measurement method for dentine hypersensitivity clinical trials. An electronic pressure sensitive probe (Yeaple-Probe) has been used to measure levels of tactile sensitivity. Pressure is applied by the investigator to the probe tip as it is passed over exposed dentin until it releases at a preset force ( 10 to 70 grams). Testing ends when the subject perceives sensitivity. |