Researchers have developed a nanodiamond-reinforced version of gutta percha , the compound that is used to fill void spaces in dental root canals. The new material was found to be stronger and more effective while tested in patient extracted teeth. Endodontic therapy or root canal therapy is a sequence of treatment for the infected pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and the protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion.
Each year, more than 15 million root canal procedures are performed in the United States. In this treatment, the major goal of the dentists’ is to save their patients' teeth from infected dental "pulp" -- the part of the tooth that includes blood vessels and nerve tissue. During a root canal, the inflamed dental pulp is removed and the empty “ally” is then filled in with a plant derived polyterpene polymer called…
