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Review
. 2010 May;20(5):681-94.
doi: 10.1517/13543771003720491.

Novel technologies for the prevention and treatment of dental caries: a patent survey

Fu Chen  1 , Dong Wang
Affiliations
Review

Novel technologies for the prevention and treatment of dental caries: a patent survey

Fu Chen et al. Expert Opin Ther Pat. 2010 May.

Abstract

Importance of the field: Dental caries is one of the most common preventable childhood diseases; people are susceptible to this ailment throughout their lifetime. In the US, 90% of late adolescents and young adults have dental caries, while 94% of all dentate adults had evidence of treated or untreated coronal caries. Dental caries is often not self-limiting and without proper care can progress until the tooth is destroyed.

Areas covered in this review: In this paper, the etiology of dental caries is briefly introduced. It is followed by a thorough review of patents and literatures on the recent development of various novel technologies for the prevention and treatment of dental caries.

What the reader will gain: Recent advances in anti-plaque agents, including chemoprophylactic agents, antimicrobial peptides, vaccines, probiotics/replacement therapy and sugar substitutes, and remineralization agents including fluorides and casein phosphopeptides are analyzed. TAKE HOME MASSAGE: Both the discovery of new anti-caries agents and the development of dentotropic delivery systems will be the future focus of this research field.

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References

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    1. Fejerskov O, Kidd E, editors. Dental caries: the disease and its clinical management. Blackwell Monksgaard; Copenhagen, Denmark: 2003.

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