LONDON, June 16:
Scientists are developing a new technique that allows teeth to repair themselves, eliminating the need for drills, injections and filling materials.
Dentists normally treat established caries in a tooth by drilling to remove the decay and filling the tooth with a material such as amalgam or composite resin.
The innovative treatment by Reminova Ltd, a new spin-out company from King’s College London, takes a different approach – one that re-builds the tooth and heals it without the need for drills, needles or amalgam.
By accelerating the natural process by which calcium and phosphate minerals re-enter the tooth to repair a defect, the technique boosts the tooth’s natural repair process.
The two-step method developed by Reminova first prepares the damaged part of the enamel outer layer of the tooth, then uses a tiny electric current to ‘push’ minerals into the tooth to repair the damaged site.
The defect is remineralised in a painless process that requires no drills, no injections and no filling materials.
Electric currents are already used by dentists to check the pulp or nerve of a tooth; the new device uses a far smaller current than that currently used on patients and which cannot be felt by the patient.
The technique, known as Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER), could be brought to market within three years.
“The way we treat teeth today is not ideal – when we repair a tooth by putting in a filling, that tooth enters a cycle of drilling and re-filling as, ultimately, each ‘repair’ fails,” said Professor Nigel Pitts from the Dental Institute at King’s College London.
“Not only is our device kinder to the patient and better for their teeth, but it’s expected to be at least as cost-effective as current dental treatments.
“Along with fighting tooth decay, our device can also be used to whiten teeth,” Pitts said. (PTI)

SILIGURI, June 16:
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has proposed setting up of business centres along the international border to facilitate traders and buyers in a bid to contain smuggling and build stronger bilateral relations with Nepal.    About 25-30 traditional markets, set up along Bihar to Bengal border with Nepal, will now be modernised. Traders of both countries can sell unrestricted daily household goods for buyers of both nations.
SSB DIG, Ranidanga sector, A K Mallick said, “The proposal has been sent a year ago to the governments of both nations. Once we get the green signal, the work will be completed within two years.”
Addressing mediapersons from the two nations on the sidelines of a management seminar organised by the SSB 41st Battalion at Madanjote recently, he said cameras and CCTV will be installed in the markets for vigilance. He was of the opinion that smuggling will be curtailed after the business centres start operation.     According to Mr Mallick, people from both countries face harassment during shopping and keeping this in mind the proposal was sent. “Smuggling is not an employment, it weakens the financial stability of the country,” he pointed out.    The SSB was developing the markets that fall under the state government’s development plan. Mr Mallick said, “You must have seen what the government has done in the past 72 years to develop the border areas along India and Nepal.”  (UNI)

ISLAMABAD, June 16:
The Pakistan army today said 27 terrorists were killed in the military operation against Taliban militants, including foreigners, hiding in the North Waziristan tribal region along the Afghan border.
“Air force jets targeted six hideouts of the militants in Shawal area. In these precise strikes 27 terrorists were killed. There is no civil population in the area,” military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said.
He said yesterday’s precision strikes in Degan-Boya in North Waziristan were very successful in which 140 terrorists were killed.
Most of those killed are Uzbeks.
“Many East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) terrorists and their affiliates have also been killed in the strikes. It was a massive blow to the terrorists and one of their main communication centres has been dismantled,” he said.
He said seven terrorists were killed on the outskirts of Mirali last night in the codenamed Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
In a separate sniper action, Special Service Group killed three terrorists who were laying IEDs close to Miranshah.
Bajwa said troops have cordoned off all terrorists bases, including the town of Mirali and Miranshah.
He said three soldiers were injured last night in exchange of fire with terrorists around Mirali.
Giving the details of the operation, he said that it was progressing as per plan.
“No operation in civil populated areas has been started so far. North Waziristan Agency has been isolated by deploying troops along its border with neighbouring agencies and FATA regions to block any move of terrorists in and out of the Agency,” he said.
The spokesman said that security has been beefed up all along Pak-Afghan border to nab terrorists fleeing the area.
The Afghan National Army and Afghan Border Police have also been asked to seal the border on their side to facilitate elimination of terrorists fleeing across the border.
They have also been asked to initiate immediate measures to eliminate Pakistani Taliban terrorists and their sanctuaries in Kunar, Nuristan and other areas of Afghanistan.
Pakistan has also increased security in all major cities and towns and at sensitive installations across the country through the civil administration. (PTI)