Aspirin could reverse the effects of tooth decay – resulting in a reduction in the need for fillings, scientists have found.
The common pain relief medication can do this by triggering teeth to self-repair, they say.
The cheap drug is able to help form new dentine, the hard tooth structure that is usually damaged by decay, according to researchers at Queen’s University Belfast.
Tooth decay is the most common dental disease worldwide – affecting a third of adults, figures suggest.
Around seven million fillings are provided in the NHS each year in England alone and the experts say the findings could reduce the crippling £3.4 billion a year cost of dental care.
