SerpApi.Org
Gross as it sounds, some research suggests that toothpaste made from keratin-rich sources like hair might be even better than fluoride at slowing enamel erosion.
That’s important because once you lose enough enamel – the hard outer layer of your teeth – you can’t get it back. This is why dentists use crowns and fillings to treat decayed teeth.
But a gel might change that.
Researchers have created a “bioinspired material” that seems to repair and, to some extent, regrow enamel.
The study authors hope it can “provide a one-pot solution for the regeneration of dental enamel independently of the level of tooth erosion”.
How does it work?
The fluoride-free gel mimics the proteins our bodies naturally use to grow teeth as infants.
When it’s first applied – a bit like specialised fluoride treatments are used now – it fills in existing gaps and cracks in the surface of the tooth.
It also acts as a kind of scaffold that attracts the calcium and phosphate ions from our saliva, which in turn build a protective layer.
They also encourage the existing enamel to get stronger through a process called epitaxial mineralisation.
That means the stronger outer part becomes strongly bonded to the tooth underneath, and makes what original enamel is left tougher.
Even better: after rigorous testing, the protection created by the gel was able to stand up to chewing, brushing, and acidic foods, like enamel.
Researchers are excited by its potential
The study’s lead author, Dr Abshar Hasan, said: “Dental enamel has a unique structure, which gives enamel its remarkable properties that protect our teeth throughout life against physical, chemical, and thermal insults.
“When our material is applied to demineralised or eroded enamel, or exposed dentine, the material promotes the growth of crystals in an integrated and organised manner, recovering the architecture of our natural healthy enamel.”
And study lead Professor Alvaro Mata added: “We are very excited because the technology has been designed with the clinician and patient in mind. It is safe, can be easily and rapidly applied, and it is scalable.
“Also, the technology is versatile, which opens the opportunity to be translated into multiple types of products to help patients of all ages suffering from a variety of dental problems associated with loss of enamel and exposed dentine.”
The scientists hope to get the product on the shelves soon via Mintech-Bio.
