Dentist Granted Patent for Treatment Paste

15 February 2012 Category News, Patents, Designs & Copyright

A dentist has been granted a patent for a paste he developed to treat bacterial diseases. Ray Steggles, who practices in Worcester, invented the paste in 2004 and has since used it to treat over 3,000 teeth. The patent will allow Mr Steggles to move forward with plans to test the paste further and to talk to pharmaceutical companies about its production on a larger scale.

Patent Paste Transforms Teeth

The paste, which is orange and called QSIant, was developed during an Open University course and used for the first time in 2007 on a patient with severe gum disease. The paste contains an antibiotic and a new ingredient which work together to disrupt the films of bacteria that form on teeth and gums. Used mainly in areas where damage is particularly bad, the paste has saved the teeth of patients who would otherwise have needed extractions. Previous treatments available to dentists often only give temporary relief – the bacterial film returns and continues to do lasting damage to teeth and gums. Although at present the treatment is confined to gum disease, Mr Steggles believes that it has a much wider range of applications, and his invention has been welcomed by the British Dental Association.

More Patent Protection to Come

The potential impact of Mr Steggles’ invention means that it is sensible to get worldwide protection for it. At the moment, a UK patent has been granted. The dentist is now actively seeking the funding that would allow him to complete the testing phase and patent the QSIant paste in other countries. He hopes to see his orange paste in dental surgeries around the world and, most importantly, to help patients who are suffering from otherwise untreatable bacterial infections.

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