Squid Ink Replaces Dental Probes

Sep-08-17 A new oral rinse made of squid ink could replace the uncomfortable periodontal probe used to check for gum disease.

Typically, dentists check for gum disease by probing the gum tissue with a periodontal device, which can painful to the patient as well as time-consuming for the dentist.

To help alleviate this discomfort, and perhaps encourage folks to visit the dentist more often, researchers from the University of California San Diego developed a mix made of commercially available squid ink, cornstarch and water. The patient rinses with the mixture, causing it to be drawn into the gum pockets and held there after the rinse is spit out. A light source is then shown into the mouth, causing the melanin nanoparticles in the squid ink to expand and generate an acoustic signal that can be detected by an ultrasound transducer to create an image of the pockets—with no probing required.

More Info about this Invention:

[IDEACONNECTION.COM]
[UCSDNEWS.UCSD.EDU]

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