Enamel regeneration

Chinese scientists seem to have learned how to really restore tooth enamel

Lina Medvedeva, XX2 century

The untreated left side of the tooth (darker) and the right side (lighter) are compared using a luminescent chemical. A drawing from the press release of A novel way to repair tooth enamel.

According to researchers from Zhejiang University, a few drops of liquid solution can fill invisible cracks and scuffs on a worn-out large molar. Article by Shao et al. Repair of tooth enamel by a biomimetic mineralization frontier ensuring epitaxial growth is published in Science Advances.

A material made of calcium phosphate ion clusters builds up a thin layer of protective shield on the teeth. The transparent crystalline mineral has the structure of fish scales and high mechanical strength – it is almost identical to the real enamel of human teeth.

Such a tooth repair is "presumably long–term," the researchers report. The technology can be used as an effective tool in clinical practice against enamel erosion, the main cause of caries, says Professor Tang Ruikang, the lead author of the study. According to the World Federation of Dentists, caries affects almost half of the world's population.

Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body, it protects teeth when biting and chewing food. Unlike other tissues, such as muscles, bones and skin, enamel is formed by cells that die immediately after performing their function. When the body can no longer produce them, the enamel breaks or breaks off, and is no longer regenerated.

For decades, scientists around the world have been conducting research to find a solution, but the artificial materials tested earlier were not able to recreate the fine structure of natural enamel, leaving gaps or cracks that can lead to the destruction of real enamel.

A group of scientists led by Tan Ruikan claims that the new material can be grown on human teeth without leaving traces. They mixed two types of reducing materials, forming small clusters of mineral particles with a diameter of only 1.5 nanometers, which is smaller than a human DNA chain.

Unlike previous materials, such clusters can remain stable for a long time without sticking together, which makes it possible to accurately reconstruct the enamel-like structure.

Chen Haifeng, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Peking University, says that this study is a big step forward, but the material may require improvements before clinical use.

For example, an artificial layer takes two days to grow, which can cause difficulties in scheduling the treatment of patients.

The liquid solution contains triethylamine, a toxic substance with a very strong odor, which, as Chen says, can be a health hazard. "But that doesn't mean we can't do anything about it," he adds.

The researchers say that the harmful substance evaporates quickly and does not remain on the teeth after the formation of a protective coating.

At the same time, it is important to remember that conventional products that prevent erosion and decay of enamel, such as toothpaste with enamel-strengthening ingredients, can be easily purchased in stores.

"Prevention is the best approach,– Chen says. – We should not wait until the teeth are damaged. Artificial replacement will never perform its function as well as natural enamel."

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