Diamond fillings that stop tooth infections

TINY diamonds inside your teeth may help to prevent infection after undergoing root canal surgery.

Dentists currently use a rubber-like material called gutta-percha to fill root canals and stop bacteria infiltrating the tooth.

But this can break and create pockets for bacteria to invade, leading to infection. Now researchers at the University of California, los Angeles, have added diamond fragments to gutta-percha and found that, in tests on three patients who had root canal work, it made the seal more resistant.

the team suggests diamonds could be useful in a number of ways in healthcare, including boosting resistance to microbes.