Chemists in England have created a gel that can repair and regenerate tooth enamel, opening up new possibilities for effective and long-lasting dental treatment.
The gel can be rapidly applied to teeth in the same way dentists currently apply standard fluoride treatments. However, this new protein-based gel is fluoride-free and works by mimicking key features of the natural proteins that guide the growth of dental enamel in infancy.
The findings have been published today in Nature Communications.
Scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with an international team of researchers, sought a method of treatment for addressing this major cause of tooth decay which is estimated to be associated with a full 50% of all tooth problems in the world.
These 50% of problems don’t merely lead to the obvious infections like dental caries, cavities, and tooth loss, but are also heavily associated with conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Arterial plaques—the substances that can impede blood flow and cause stroke and heart attacks, have been found to contain bacterial biofilms in the periodontal environment—think about that the next time to want skip flossing.
When applied, the scientist’s experimental gel creates a thin and robust layer that impregnates teeth, filling holes and cracks in them. It then functions as a scaffold that takes calcium and phosphate ions from saliva and promotes the controlled growth of new mineral in a process called epitaxial mineralization.
This enables the new mineral to be organized and integrated to the underlying natural tissue while recovering both the structure and properties of natural healthy enamel.
It can also be applied on top of exposed dentine, growing an enamel-like layer on top of dentine, which has many benefits including treating hypersensitivity or enhancing the bonding of dental restorations.
“We have tested the mechanical properties of these regenerated tissues under conditions simulating ‘real-life situations’ such as tooth brushing, chewing, and exposure to acidic foods, and found that the regenerated enamel behaves just like healthy enamel,”
Dr. Abshar Hasan, a postdoctoral fellow and leading author of the study, said in a Nottingham U. press release.
Enamel does not naturally regenerate; once you lose it it’s gone forever. There is currently no solution available that can effectively regrow enamel. Current treatments such as fluoride varnishes and remineralization solutions only alleviate the symptoms of lost enamel.
ALSO CHECK OUT: The Simple Habit of Flossing Reduces Your Risk Of COVID-19 Complications, Says New Study
“Dental enamel has a unique structure, which gives enamel its remarkable properties that protect our teeth throughout life against physical, chemical, and thermal insults,” said Dr. Hasan. “When our material is applied to demineralized or eroded enamel, or exposed dentine, the material promotes the growth of crystals in an integrated and organized manner, recovering the architecture of our natural healthy enamel.”
In 2023, GNN reported that a drug which was able to regrow adult teeth in mice entered clinical trials after it was discovered by a dental scientist named Takahashi in Japan years prior.
MORE DENTISTRY BREAKTHROUGHS: Wisdom Teeth Contain Unique Stem Cell That Can Form Cartilage, Neurons, and Heart Tissue
The breakthrough came from the identification of a gene-protein interaction in mice that resulted in the growth of fewer teeth. An antibody medicine that inhibited the protein’s ability to function caused teeth to grow in both mice and ferrets who were born with improper tooth formation.
Unlike many other animals on Earth, Humans can’t regrow teeth constantly, and the regrowth of a third tooth at the loss of our adult teeth would revolutionize dentistry.
SHARE This Breakthrough Dental Drugs With Your Friends…
