Method for Producing Silver Nanoparticles in an Active Carious Lesion

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the nanoparticles comprise silver.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the second dental solution comprises stannous fluoride and the first dental solution comprises a mixture of silver fluoride and nitric acid.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises silver fluoride stabilized with nitric acid and the nitric acid is added in sufficient quantity to substantially stabilize the silver fluoride in solution such that the silver ion levels do not decrease by more than 5% over a period of at least 24 months at approximately 25° C.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises silver fluoride and is formed in a process comprising dissolving silver fluoride powder in deionized water and removing particulates with a filter to form a filtrate comprising aqueous silver fluoride.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the deionized water has a resistivity of 18.2 MΩ·cm, TOC<10 ppb and bacterial count <10 CFU/ml.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises silver fluoride and further comprises combining the silver fluoride with nitric acid until a pH of the first dental solution is 4.0-6.0, or 5.5-6.0.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises silver diamine fluoride wherein the silver diammine fluoride comprises between 1%-50% w/v silver fluoride.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises silver diammine fluoride and is made by dissolving silver fluoride powder in water with the pH adjusted with ammonia between 1%-28% w/v.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the second dental solution comprises an amount of stannous fluoride of from 1-50 w/v %, or from 5-25 w/v %, or from about 10 w/v % in the reducing agent.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first dental solution comprises between 1%-50% w/v silver fluoride, or 20%-49% w/v silver fluoride, or 30%-45% w/v silver fluoride.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the inorganic reducing agent is a metallic salt.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the inorganic reducing agent is between 1%-50% w/v stannous fluoride.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the metallic salt is at least one of ferrous fluoride or potassium iodide.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the reducing agent comprises 1%-50% w/v of the metallic salt.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the reducing agent is made without added water, and optionally has added glycerol.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the reducing agent comprises up to 100% w/v glycerol in the reducing agent, and between 1% to 20% w/v sorbitol in the reducing agent.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the reducing agent is mechanically mixed.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the organic reducing agent comprises at least one of tannic acid, a polyphenol, eugenol, a phenylpropanoid, an oligosaccharide, a polysaccharide, a monosaccharide and a disaccharide, a polyethylene glycol, and lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus genus).

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the organic reducing agent is an artificial sweetener/sugar substitute which can be made in the laboratory.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the reducing agent is a flowing solution which can be applied with a microbrush in volumes as low as 0.01 ml and contains at least one suitable flavouring agent.

The method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the carious lesion is in a tooth of a mammal, or wherein the carious lesion is in a tooth of a human.