Cavities are extremely common in children all the way up to adults. In fact, 60% to 90% of school-age children and nearly 100% of adults worldwide have dental cavities. Many people are familiar with the standard process of drilling just to treat a cavity. However, that process may soon be a thing of the past with the help of a drug that isn’t typically used to treat dental issues.

The Sun Journal reports that your cavities may soon be able to treat themselves with the help of a medication used to help Alzheimer’s patients. The main purpose of the drug Tideglusib is to help patients inhibit the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase. It is currently proven in preclinical trials on mice to be effective. Even though it has yet to be tested on humans, it has been given the green light for humans to utilize.

Not only has Tideglusib been proven to help Alzheimer’s patients, it actually also helps to stimulate stem cells in the pulp of teeth. This pulp creates dentine, which gets eaten by tooth decay. Dentine is already generated by our teeth but in a small amount. That small amount isn’t enough to actually treat cavities.

Scientists from King’s College London Dental Institute tested the drug on mice and found that their decayed teeth repaired themselves within six weeks of the drug being administered.

Dr. Paul Sharpe, the man heading the ongoing research at King’s College, gives hope to the drug as it has been tested safe for human use to help those with Alzheimer’s. Collagen sponges have also been approved for administering the drug.

“Using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials provides a real opportunity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics,” Sharpe says.

Unfortunately, for now, the drug is only being administered to mice. So, if you’re not a mouse, you’re most likely unable to get your hands on the product. However, since it has been proven to be safe for humans to use, one day the Alzheimer’s drug may be available for anyone with dental and cavity problems to take.