以磷酸鈣及氟化鈣礦物封閉牙本質小管

Abstract

當牙本質外露時，如果受到一些外界刺激而引起短暫而劇烈的疼痛，醫學上稱為牙本質敏感症狀。牙本質敏感症狀是長久以來一直困擾許多人的問題，據統計台灣社會大約有84%的成年人深受牙本質敏感影響。牙本質外露有許多原因，通常覆蓋在牙本質表面的牙釉質和牙骨質，會由於磨損或腐蝕而剝落。雖然市面是許多產品都宣稱能有效治療牙本質敏感症狀，但往往沒有立即且持續的療效，所以開發一個能有效治療牙本質敏感症狀的材料是牙科治療的重要任務。本研究利用聚合物延緩磷酸鈣成礦在牙本質小管和用奈米尺寸的磷酸鈣和氟化鈣在牙本質小管中堆積。藉由施加電場的方式，讓牙本質小管能在短時間內被礦物充填，藉此避免外在刺激對牙髓腔內部的神經的影響。這項技術在治療牙本質敏感有極大的潛力。

Dentinal hypersensitivity refers to the pain of exposed dentin, typically in response to thermal, chemical, tactile or osmotic stimuli, as it has long been a troublesome problem in dental care, where more than 80% of adult in Taiwan suffer from it. Dentin may become exposed when the enamel or cementum, which normally covers the dentin surface, is removed or abraded as a result of gradual wear. Although there are many products on the market that claim to be effective against dentinal hypersensitivity, no commercial product has shown immediate and lasting efficacy, and thus, the need to seek an effective treatment is of utmost importance in dentistry. In this work, we proposed to use polymers to delay calcium phosphate precipitation and nano-sized hydroxyapatite or calcium fluoride occlusion in dentinal tubules. By applying an electric field, minerals could be filled in the dentinal tubules in a short time, which can prevent the nerves inside the pulp form suffering from external stimulation. This technique may have great potential for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity.