By Trevor Hewitt | Plaid Zebra

Lost a tooth? No problem, just print another. A strange notion, but one that Dutch researchers are trying to make a reality with 3D-printed teeth made from antimicrobial plastic.

Scientists in the Netherlands developed the material by adding antimicrobial salts to existing dental resin (the stuff that dentists use to fill your cavities). The resulting mix is hardened with ultraviolet light and used to print artificial teeth.

When the material was tested by exposing it to human saliva and Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium that causes tooth decay, it killed over 99 per cent of all bacteria. “[It kills] bacteria on contact, but on the other hand it’s not harmful to human cells,” said Andreas Herrmann, a chemist involved in developing the material.

from:   http://consciouslifenews.com/goodbye-cavities-3d-printed-teeth-kill-bacteria-contact/11100690/