Patented glass compound to make brace removal less damaging: BHU scientists

Varanasi: A patented bioactive glass compound invented by BHU scientists could bond dental brackets more durably, rebuild enamel during treatment and make brace removal far less damaging, said Prof. Ajit Vikram Parihar, Faculty of Dental Science, BHU on Thursday.

He added that unlike the resin-based adhesives currently used in orthodontic clinics, this material does not simply grip the tooth and hold on. It actively interacts with the oral environment, releasing calcium and phosphate ions into saliva and triggering the deposition of a mineralised layer on the enamel surface.

In short, the adhesive helps rebuild teeth even as it holds the brace in place.

Prof Parihar specified that the bioactive glass compound will help the orthodontic patients get ride of the white spot lesions around the bracket sites.

“They are the earliest visible form of tooth decay, and they tend to develop precisely because fixed appliances make thorough cleaning so difficult. By continuously replenishing minerals at the enamel surface, the new adhesive is designed to counteract this process throughout treatment,” he said.

However, he informed that the current research is a vitro pilot study — conducted on extracted teeth rather than living patients — and that larger clinical trials will be needed before the adhesive can reach dental surgeries. The sample size of six teeth per group, standard for a pilot study of this kind, is not large enough to establish definitive clinical differences between formulations.

“Even so, the findings point to a material that could, if it clears clinical trials, meaningfully improve the experience of orthodontic treatment for patients and clinicians alike — bonding firmly, rebuilding enamel throughout treatment, and letting go cleanly at the end,” Prof said.