If you’re a rapper (I’m looking at you, Flavor Flav), then you’re already well aware of the aesthetic benefits that diamonds can have for your million-watt smile. If you’re a dentist, you might be interested in the relationship between diamonds and teeth for reasons other than what style of grillz to buy this year.

Scientists from the UCLA School of Dentistry, the UCLA Department of Bioengineering and Northwestern University, along with collaborators at the NanoCarbon Research Institute in Japan, may have found a way to use nanodiamonds—which are exactly what they sound like—to improve bone growth, make dental implants even more stable and combat osteonecrosis. Nanodiamonds, which are created as byproducts of conventional diamond mining and refining, are only four to five nanometers in diameter and are shaped like tiny soccer balls—like soccer balls used by a recreational soccer team for ants.

The study focuses on jaw bone repair operations that conventionally use a sponge to administer proteins that promote bone growth, such as bone morphogenic protein. Dr. Dean Ho, professor of oral biology and medicine at the UCLA School of Dentistry conducted the study, which found that nanodiamonds can be a viable alternative to sponge insertion since they bind rapidly with bone morphogenic protein and fibroglast growth factor. The unique surface of the diamonds allows the proteins to be delivered more slowly, which may allow the affected area to be treated for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the nanodiamonds can be administered non-invasively, such as by injection or an oral rinse.

“Nanodiamonds are versatile platforms, “ said Ho, “[and] because they are useful for delivering such a broad range of therapies, nanodiamonds have the potential to impact several other facets of oral, maxillofacial and orthopedic surgery, as well as regenerative medicine.”

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