The End of the Drill? A Dental Revolution Begins in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 12, 2026 – For over a century, the unsettling buzz of the dental drill has been the universal sound of treating a cavity. That era may be drawing to a close. At the prestigious J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, an event typically dominated by pharmaceuticals and biotech giants, the world of dentistry took an unprecedented center stage. The reason: a groundbreaking, drill-free cavity treatment called Curodont™ that doesn’t fill teeth, but helps them regenerate.

Behind the innovation are Drs. Haley and Goly Abivardi, Swiss dentist-entrepreneur sisters and founders of vVARDIS. Their return to the conference stage was no small feat; it came after a personal highlight from J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon at the 2025 event, a rare nod that signaled Wall Street's growing interest in the untapped potential of oral health. The sisters are not just selling a product; they are championing a paradigm shift from invasive repair to non-invasive regeneration.

“Being recognized by Jamie Dimon and invited to return as presenters... is an extraordinary honor—not just for us, but for the entire field of oral health,” said Dr. Haley Abivardi, co-CEO of vVARDIS. “This platform has amplified our ability to reach the world’s leading healthcare innovators and investors, accelerating our mission to transform how cavities are treated globally.”

A New Standard of Care Without the Drill

For decades, the approach to early-stage cavities, or caries, has been a frustrating waiting game known as “watchful waiting.” Dentists could only monitor the decay until it became a hole large enough to require the drill and a synthetic filling. Curodont™ intervenes in that critical window, offering the first non-invasive restorative treatment for early cavities.

The technology is rooted in a field called biomimetics—mimicking nature's own processes. The treatment uses a proprietary formulation featuring a self-assembling peptide, P11-4. When a dental professional applies the clear, tasteless liquid to an early lesion, the peptides seep into the porous, demineralized tooth structure. There, they form a 3D scaffold, or biomatrix, that attracts calcium and phosphate minerals naturally present in saliva. This process, called Guided Enamel Regeneration, rebuilds the tooth from within, restoring lost minerals and arresting the decay process.

This approach stands in stark contrast to drilling, which removes healthy tooth structure along with the decayed portion to place a filling. Curodont™ preserves the entire natural tooth. The science, developed over 25 years and backed by more than 230 scientific publications, is robust. Peer-reviewed clinical studies and meta-analyses show a success rate above 90% in arresting and regressing early lesions, with one recent trial finding it carries a 60% lower risk for caries progression compared to fluoride varnish alone.

“Curodont™ is highly effective for treatment of early decays,” affirmed Dr. German O. Gallucci, Chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. “This new non-invasive therapeutic option is a game changer in the battle against tooth decay.”

From Niche Innovation to Wall Street Darling

The technology's clinical promise is being matched by explosive commercial growth. In just two years on the U.S. market, Curodont™ has been used to treat over 2 million teeth. This rapid adoption is fueled by significant financial backing, including an $85 million funding round from leading healthcare investor OrbiMed and an expanded distribution partnership with Henry Schein, a titan in the dental supply industry. These partnerships are helping the Swiss company scale rapidly across North America.

Today, the treatment is available in nearly 12% of all U.S. dental offices, including major Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) like Aspen Dental and Heartland Dental. This penetration has made Curodont™ the fastest-growing product in its category, tapping into an estimated $30 billion market opportunity in the U.S. alone.

“Presenting at J.P. Morgan Healthcare marks a turning point for dentistry, as the connection between oral and overall health is being recognized and championed by the broader healthcare industry and investors,” stated Dr. Goly Abivardi, co-CEO. She emphasized that this support allows for an acceleration toward early-intervention care, an advancement medicine embraced years ago.

This shift is also being reflected in industry infrastructure. The anticipated implementation of a new American Dental Association (ADA) code for hydroxyapatite remineralization treatments is expected to streamline insurance coverage, further lowering barriers for patients and encouraging wider adoption by dental practices.

A Mission to ‘Save Teeth, Save Lives’

Beyond the technology and business success, the Abivardi sisters are leveraging their platform to launch a global public health movement. At the conference, they debuted the “Save Teeth Save Lives” campaign, symbolized by a turquoise ribbon, to sound the alarm on the global cavity crisis.

According to the World Health Organization, cavities are the most prevalent non-communicable disease worldwide. In the U.S., they affect nearly 90% of adults and are the most common chronic childhood disease. The consequences extend far beyond a toothache. Untreated decay is linked to serious and costly conditions like heart disease and can lead to a 26% increased risk of all-cause mortality. Annually, the U.S. loses 32 million school hours and 92 million work hours to unplanned dental emergencies.

The campaign aims to reframe cavities not as a minor inconvenience, but as a serious public health issue that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. By advocating for early, fear-free, and drill-free interventions, vVARDIS hopes to improve not just oral health, but overall well-being and dignity for patients everywhere.

The company’s impact has already earned it significant accolades, including being named the 2026 Innovative Company of the Year by Dental Advisor. As Curodont™ continues its rapid integration into clinics and dental school curricula, it represents more than just a new tool; it signals a fundamental evolution in how we care for one of the most basic, yet critical, aspects of human health.