IISc Researchers Develop Nano-Sized Robots to Deep Clean Teeth, Improve Success of Root Canal Treatment

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru announced on May 16 that it has developed nano-sized robots which can kill bacteria deep inside dentinal tubules and improve the success of root canal treatments.

According to Shanmukh Srinivas, research associate at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc, and co-founder of a startup incubated by the IISc Theranautilus: “The dentinal tubules are very small, and bacteria reside deep in the tissue. Current techniques are not efficient enough to go all the way inside and kill the bacteria.”

The researchers said millions of people have root canal treatments to address tooth infections. The operation entails removing the affected soft tissue inside the tooth, known as the pulp, and flushing the tooth with antibiotics or chemicals to kill the bacteria that cause the illness.

IISc said: “But many times, the treatment fails to completely remove all the bacteria – especially antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis – which remain hidden inside microscopic canals in the tooth called dentinal tubules.”

Advanced Healthcare Materials published the latest research according to which the nanobots are controlled by a low-intensity magnetic field, and researchers created helical nanobots made of silicon dioxide coated with iron that can be controlled by a device that generates one.

The researchers said they were able to make the nanobots move at whim and penetrate deep inside the dentinal tubules by adjusting the magnetic field’s frequency.

Srinivas said: “We have also established that we can retrieve them … we can pull them back out of the patient’s teeth.”

Debayan Dasgupta, the Research Associate at CeNSE and co-founder of Theranautilus, said: “Crucially, the team was able to manipulate the magnetic field to make the surface of the nanobots generate heat, which can kill the bacteria nearby. No other technology in the market can do this right now.”

However, to improve the efficacy of root canal therapy, scientists previously employed ultrasound or laser pulses to induce shockwaves in the fluid used to flush away germs and tissue debris.

Moreover, researchers said: “But these pulses can only penetrate up to a distance of 800 micrometres, and their energy dissipates fast.”

“The nanobots were able to penetrate much further – up to 2,000 micrometres. Using heat to kill the bacteria also provides a safer alternative to harsh chemicals or antibiotics,” they added.

According to their findings, such nanoparticles may use light to trap and move items, swim through blood and inside living cells, and stick strongly to cancer cells.

As per Dasgupta, “These studies have shown that they are safe to use in biological tissues.”

The dental nanobots were tested in mice models and found to be safe and effective. They are also working on a new type of medical gadget that can easily fit within the mouth and allows the dentist to inject and manipulate nanobots inside the teeth during root canal therapy, according to the researchers.

Read all the Latest Tech News here