Bile Acids - The Next Dental Filling Material?
When you need a cavity filled, your dentist may choose to use a white composite (plastic) filling or a silver amalgam (metal) filling. Theories suggest that both materials could release toxins into your body. Either material may not resist the heavy forces that burden your teeth on a daily basis from eating, grinding, and clenching. Scientists from Canada and China have discovered an unlikely source for a new dental material.
An article, published in ASC Applied Materials & Interfaces, reveals how bile acids are harvested and converted into a plastic, that may resist cracking unlike composite or amalgam fillings. The study was conducted by Marc A. Gauthier, Zhao Zhang, and X. X. Zhu.
Bile acids may seem like a strange option for a dental material, however due to its natural properties, patients concerned with the potentially toxic outcomes from the traditional materials used to restore teeth could very well accept this option in the future.
Bile acids is a very odd material to use as a dental restorative material. However, it is a welcome possibility considering that existing dental materials currently used release potentially harmful compounds.