Research done in collaboration with University of Illinois' Dr. James Drummond, Boston University's Dr. Russell Giordano, and University of Tennessee's Dr. Narendra Dahotre.
By: Robin Murdoch, Reporter
Date created: 12/10/2007 4:25:32 PM
Last updated: 12/11/2007 7:41:32 AM
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on a way to make tougher teeth.
Dr. Claus Daniel, ORNL researcher says, "It's a periodic structuring technique."Dr. Daniel is the man behind the method. He brought the concept with him from Germany in 2005."Crowns nowadays fail after six to ten years," Dr. Claus said. "They fatally crack, and we have to replace a crown."Lasers are used for anything from healthcare to welding. Daniel developed another use, strengthening artificial teeth. "We are increasing the mechanical stability, the strength of the material right at the interface where cracks are initiated," Daniel said.Crews are now building a laser at ORNL that will eventually pre-treat the surface of the crown that comes into contact with your teeth.They have been using a laser at the National Transportation Research Center in Knoxville. The beams are 3,000 degrees celsius.In a flash, it makes microscopic changes to the crown's surface."Right now, we are probably still a little away from actually ending up in the dentists' office and treating crown material," Daniel said.Preliminary tests already show the process makes the treated crown 40 to 50 percent stronger and adds only a few cents to the overall cost."I don't want to have a crown in my mouth, but if I need one of those, I would be really be happy to have a crown that lasts longer than the ones we are using nowadays," Daniel said.The concept is something to smile about while you?re in the dentist?s chair. Researchers believe the stronger crowns could be available in 5 to 10 years.
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