Caries

History

2025

Discovery: Kisses protect against tooth decay

Dentists at the University of Santiago in Ecuador said kissing can reduce the risk of tooth decay. According to them, during the kiss, saliva exchange occurs, which helps normalize the acid-base balance and accelerates the restoration of the pH level in the oral cavity. This was announced at the end of August 2025 by the Daily Mail.

The optimal kissing time to reduce acidity is about 40 seconds, the study found. During this period, buffering agents and bacteria are transferred between partners, which helps to quickly restore the pH level after drinking sugary drinks. The authors of the study note that after drinking carbonated drinks, fruit juices or non-alcoholic beer, the acidity in the mouth can grow by about 25%. Under normal conditions, it takes about 40 minutes to normalize it, but a kiss can shorten this period.

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Фото: Freepik

Dentists clarified that 60 volunteers aged 18 to 30 participated in the experiment. Subjects were encouraged to drink drinks with increased acidity and then kiss for 40 seconds. Saliva samples were collected every five minutes, allowing the researchers to trace the dynamics of acid-base balance recovery.

The scientists stressed that this is the first study to assess the effect of kissing on pH recovery after a so-called "acid attack." In their opinion, the results open up a new direction in preventive dentistry.

The published data say that regular kissing can become a kind of behavioral tool to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Such a method is able to supplement standard preventive measures, such as brushing teeth and using rinses.^[1]

Presented the first Russian device with a laser for the rapid diagnosis of caries

Specialists of the St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University LETI named after V.I. Ulyanova developed the first in Russia system of laser diagnostics of caries, which can replace X-ray equipment in dental rooms. The innovative device uses semiconductor laser diodes to safely analyze the dental condition of patients directly in the dental chair without age and health restrictions. This was announced on August 13, 2025 by the developers. Read more here

2024: Russia has developed and began to use the method of rapid diagnosis of early tooth decay

On May 15, 2024, Russian specialists from the Volga Research Medical University (PIMU) announced the development of a method for express diagnostics of the early stage of tooth decay. The new technology is said to have a number of advantages over existing solutions.

It is noted that at first caries manifests itself weakly, which often leads to neglect of the pathological process and belated treatment. This can significantly increase patient costs and provoke various problems - up to long-term therapy. Most often, dentists diagnose hard tooth tissues by X-ray, but the degree of enamel damage and the severity of demineralization with this method is not always noticeable to the doctor. In addition, the use of X-rays creates an additional radiation burden on the patient. In addition, this method has contraindications.

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Фото: Unsplash

An alternative technology was developed by scientists from the Research Institute of Experimental Oncology and Biomedical Technologies of PIMU. They propose to diagnose caries using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OKTAS). This method, due to its speed and painlessness, is widely used in ophthalmology to assess the retina.

The device using the proposed technology was developed at the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Device makes it possible to distinguish initial forms of caries from dental plaque by coefficient of attenuation of OKTAS signal. In addition, it is possible to clearly determine the boundary of carious lesion, which cannot be done by other known methods. In the future, PIMU specialists intend to improve their methodology. In particular, as stated in the official statement, they plan to implement functions that allow determining the stage of tooth decay by OKTAs.^[2]

2023: A device for the treatment of tooth decay with the preservation of tooth tissue has been developed in Russia

Scientists from Sechenov University have developed a pulp detection device that will avoid damage to the inside of the tooth. The press service announced this on July 10, 2023.

The new technology, according to its creators, will help doctors accurately determine the distance to the pulp - the central part of the tooth permeated with nerves and blood vessels. This will allow dentists in the treatment of tooth decay to work only with the outer layers of the tooth - enamel and dentin.

A device has been developed in Russia to treat tooth decay while preserving tooth tissue

In the treatment of caries, it is important to preserve the tooth tissue as much as possible and prevent opening of the pulp when removing the dentin affected by caries, however, modern methods for assessing the thickness of dentin are laborious and not accurate enough. They do not find widespread use in clinical practice, and the doctor has to rely mainly on his own experience. Excessive removal of dentin and opening of the tooth cavity can lead to infection of the pulp and the development of inflammation, in this case you have to remove the pulp and seal the root canals, which significantly increases the time and financial costs of treatment, - said a dental specialist at the Institute of Dentistry. E.V. Sechenovskogo Borovsky of the University Anna Turkina.

The new probe with a thickness of less than a millimeter uses an optical method of diffuse reflection spectroscopy, which allows you to assess the absorption and scattering of light. It is from these signs that you can find out where dentin ends and pulp begins. Scientists have successfully tested the probe on wisdom teeth removed from patients for medical reasons.

By July 2023, scientists are conducting clinical testing of the developed probe in dental interventions. In the future, the method can enter into wide clinical practice. The work was carried out as part of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program^[3]

2022

Caries treatment system with no minimal pain entered the market

On October 18, 2022, Sonendo introduced the GentleWave G4 system, designed to treat tooth decay without minimal pain. Read more here.

A device is presented showing which teeth will show tooth decay

In early March 2022, the University of Washington presented a dental tool developed there that can measure the acidity created by bacteria in plaque, which leads to tooth decay. Read more here.

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