Palscience

The new technique or treatment is called Ramon spectroscopy (a method that is currently used to identify chemicals) and it might be available in dental surgeries in five years from now.

Frances Downey, a PhD student working on developing the technique at King’s College London, said: ‘The earlier you spot decay the better as you can remineralise the area so there is no cavitation and therefore no need for a filling.’

The chemical changes in the tooth could be detected by analyzing how light is scattered when a laser is fired at the tooth. Since bacteria is the main cause of the decay, researchers were able to tell wethere the tooth is healthy or not because the scatter light will look different.

X-rays detect decay in teeth, but the problem is that for the most part the damage has been done, and decayed area must be drilled out. But Dr Steven Hogg, a microbiologist at Newcastle University’s dental school, confirms that it is possible to repair teeth with a special mouthwash or fluoride varnish if dental decay is caught early enough.