Zinc compound offers non-staining alternative to silver diamine fluoride

Research has shown that silver diamine fluoride can successfully arrest and prevent caries in children and has proven more effective than dental sealants in school-based prevention programmes. In search of a non-staining alternative, the New York University researchers, led by Dr Marc Anton Walters, professor of chemistry, synthesised the compound zinc tetraammine difluoride. When applied to the moist tooth surface, it reacts deep within the dentine to form zinc oxide and zinc hydroxyfluoride. These minerals block the tubules and gradually release antimicrobial zinc and fluoride ions, Prof. Walters explained in a university press release. This dual action provides both antibacterial protection and relief from hypersensitivity.

Preliminary studies using electron microscopy showed that the material penetrates deeply and seals dentinal tubules within minutes. In laboratory tests, the zinc oxide remained stable for up to two months, showing the potential to last considerably longer.

The research team is collaborating with Southern Dental Industries, which holds the licence for the technology’s commercial development. Together with Periomics Care, a startup co-founded by Dr Deepak Saxena, professor of molecular pathobiology at New York University College of Dentistry, the researchers have received funding from the US National Institutes of Health to continue formulation and feasibility studies.

Their goal is to create a non-staining, effective and affordable agent that prevents caries and reduces hypersensitivity, Prof. Saxena explained. The next phase of research will thus evaluate the compound’s antimicrobial efficacy, safety and shelf life before advancing to clinical trials.