Dental hypersensitivity is a common problem among Indians, affecting between 20% and 32% of the Indian population, and current solutions only include desensitising toothpaste, gels, or liquids that may not be too adept in eradicating the root of the issue.

Now, imagine microscopic robots, each a fraction of the width of a human hair, deployed inside a patient’s mouth to deliver targeted treatments just for that.

This is exactly what Bengaluru-based deeptech startup Theranautilus is trying to achieve, offering oral & dental treatments with the help of nanobots. Yes, you read it right — nanobots.

Now, before we get to exploring how Theranautilus is using its magic bots to treat dental ailments among Indians, let’s learn more about the startup, which seems to be stirring a revolution in the realm of Indian dentistry.

Incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and founded in 2020, Theranautilus is developing magnetic nanorobots that can be precisely controlled inside the human body using external magnetic fields.

The startup’s vision is hidden in its name. While ‘Thera’ stands for therapeutic, ‘Nautilus’ is the name of a submarine, helmed by Captain Nemo, a character created by the French novelist Jules Verne. Put together, the name represents a submarine with therapeutic abilities that can navigate fluids inside the human body.

At the captain’s seat is the trio of scientists and engineers — professor Ambarish Ghosh, a physicist who returned to India after working at Harvard; Dr Peddi Shanmukh Srinivas, a trained dentist; and Debayan Dasgupta, an engineer.

But, this alliance, called Theranautilus, did not happen overnight and had been in the works for over a decade.

Theranautilus’ Sci-Fi Solution To Tooth Decay

The trio of cofounders told Inc42 that they have been working on their nanobots for the last 15 years. This includes Ghosh’s work at Harvard before he returned to India to continue his research at the IISc.

According to Ghosh, what began as a pure science........

© Inc42