KCL's Reminova makes our Christmas list for technology which could spell the end for tooth decay.
Reminova
Institution: King’s College London
Sector: Dentistry
Dental caries, which affects 2.3 billion people every year, is one of the most common preventable diseases. Until now, however, it was not possible to reverse tooth decay once it has begun. The decay happens through several stages, starting as a microscopic defect where minerals leach out of tooth. Minerals continue to move in and out of the tooth in a natural cycle, but when too much mineral is lost, the enamel is undermined and the tooth is said to have developed a caries lesion. If left untreated, this eventually becomes a cavity.
Reminova, launched by KCL in June, aims to will stop dental decay. It is the first spin-out from the King’s College London Dental Innovation and Translation Centre, launched in January 2013.
Reminova’s technology is the holy grail of dentistry, a breakthrough that the industry has been researching for several decades. It rebuilds the tooth and heals it without the need for drills, needles or amalgam by accelerating the natural repair process of calcium and phosphate minerals re-entering the tooth to repair a defect. The two-step method first prepares the damaged part of the enamel, before using a tiny electric current to push minerals into the tooth.
The technology, called Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisatio, could be brought to market within three years. In the year ahead, Reminova will be seeking private investors to fund development.
