A great deal. The dental profession has made many wonderful advances in the quality and speed of dental treatment, and in patient comfort and options. For example, high speed drills and fast-setting dental filling materials have greatly reduced a patient's time in the dental chair. Here are just some of the areas where dental research advances are occurring.
Tooth decay is caused primarily by bacterium called streptococcus mutans.
These bacteria act on the sugars and starches in foods to produce acids that attack teeth and cause cavities. Scientists are working on a vaccine that would interfere with the small amount of bacteria that will adhere to the tooth and could cause damage. Early experiments have been promising. In tests, animals wearing fluoride pellets had significantly fewer cavities. A different and exciting use of computers is computer-imaging, showing patients a computerized image of what they will look like after cosmetic dental procedures or surgery.