A cold drink is refreshing in the summer, but for people with sensitive teeth, it can cause a painful jolt in the mouth. This situation can be treated, but many current approaches don't last long. Now researchers report in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces the advancement of new material with a decoction from green tea that could fix this difficulty and help prevent cavities in these susceptible patients.

Tooth sensitivity occurs when the protecting layers of teeth are worn away, revealing a bony tissue called dentin. This film includes microscopic hollow tubes that, when exhibited, tolerate hot and cold liquids and food to connected the underlying nerve endings in the teeth, provoking pain. Unprotected dentin is also vulnerable to cavity organisation. Plugging microscopic hollow tubes with a mineral called nanohydroxyapatite is a long-standing suggestion to deal with sensitivity. However, the material doesn't stand up well to routine brushing, grinding, erosion or acid induce by cavity-causing bacteria. Cui Huang and colleagues required to tackle sensitivity and beat the bacteria at the same time.

The analysers encapsulated nanohydroxyapatite and a green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG in silica nanoparticles, which can hold up to acid and wear and tear. EGCG has been determined in previous studies to fight Streptococcus mutans, which forms biofilms that induce cavities. Examination of extracted wisdom teeth noted that the material plugged the dentin tubules, delivered EGCG for at least 96 hours, held up to tooth destruction and brushing and protected biofilm composition. It also showed low toxicity. Based on these conclusions, the researchers say the material could indeed be a good candidate for combating tooth sensitivity and cavities.