Prevention of caries
According to the World Health Organization, people of almost all age groups are susceptible to caries. It leads to serious health problems. In addition, the direct and indirect costs of caries treatment and related diseases are a heavy economic burden on the shoulders of individuals and the entire health system.
Bacteria in the oral cavity consume carbohydrates and secrete waste products, including acids, which wash minerals out of tooth enamel, forming cavities. So, in a nutshell, the development of caries occurs.
In the early stages, caries is relatively harmless. But as soon as the pathological cavity penetrates through the enamel, damage to the tooth begins, which can eventually lead to its loss, weakening of the fixing apparatus of neighboring teeth and deterioration of the entire oral cavity.
Professor Mehmet Sarikaya and his colleagues from the University of Washington, based on the work of natural proteins that form teeth, in particular, amelogenin, have developed a system for restoring enamel.
Figure from the article by Dogan et al.
Amelogenin is a protein that plays a key role in the construction of the hard enamel of the tooth crown. Researchers have synthesized amelogenin-like peptides that restore the mineral composition of teeth. These peptides form compounds on the tooth surface that capture calcium and phosphates.
Drawing from the University of Washington press release
After each application, the innovative material increases 10-50 micrometers of tooth enamel. If it proves its effectiveness and safety in animal and human studies, the technology can be implemented in both private and public dental clinics. Amelogenin-like peptides can be part of therapeutic toothpaste, gels, solutions and composites and be a safe, inexpensive and effective alternative to existing methods of treatment and prevention of dental diseases in adults and children.
Article by S. Dogan et al. Biomimetic Tooth Repair: Amelogenin-Derived Peptide Enables in Vitro Remineralization of Human Enamel published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on UW News: Peptide-based biogenic dental product may cure cavities.