Preventive solution for oral care

Filipe Antunes

Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Research
Oral health is a crucial aspect of general health. Traditional oral care solutions act after bacterial dental plaque has already started to form, although the damage may have occurred already. Biolocker is a solution based on a new approach that acts before the plaque has started to form, before any of the initial damage is caused.

Aim
To develop an oral care tool that prevents early bacterial dental plaque formation by blocking key bacterial interactions that promote the early development of dental plaque, which leads to dental caries and other damage.

Problem to Solve
2.5 billion people (37% of world’s population) suffer from dental caries. In addition, several periodontal diseases affect a significant number of people worldwide. Most of these diseases are preventable with oral care solutions, and do not require expensive treatments. However, prevention solutions are scarce, and most oral care products act only for a limited time after their application, when damage has already started.

Innovation
Two organic molecules have been designed to block early key bacterial interactions and they have been shown to be effective in preventing dental plaque accumulation in both preliminary and advanced tests. Biolocker is designed to be applied after brushing your teeth, but its protection will last during a broader time window than any oral care product currently in the market. This will significantly improve existing oral care prevention solutions.

Level of Innovation
Biolocker is a versatile solution that can be implemented in many forms (mouthwash, toothpaste). Its application will provide unpaired protection during the day and directly impact on the possibility of developing plaque related diseases.