A new material has been used to create a gel that can repair and regenerate tooth enamel, opening up new possibilities for effective and long-lasting preventive and restorative dental treatment.
Scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, in collaboration with an international team of researchers, have developed a bioinspired material that has the potential to regenerate demineralised or eroded enamel, strengthen healthy enamel, and prevent future decay. The findings have been published today in Nature Communications.
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.
When applied, the 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 minerals in a process called epitaxial mineralisation.
This enables the new mineral to be organised and integrated to the underlying natural tissue while recovering both the structure and properties of natural healthy enamel.
The new material 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.
Enamel degradation is a major contributor to tooth decay and is associated with dental problems affecting almost 50 percent of the world’s population.
These problems can lead to infections and tooth loss, and can also be associated with conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Enamel does not naturally regenerate; once you lose it, it is gone forever.
There is currently no solution available that can effectively regrow enamel. Current treatments, such as
fluoride varnishes and remineralisation solutions, only alleviate the symptoms of lost enamel.
Dr Abshar Hasan, a Postdoctoral Fellow and leading author of the study, 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."
“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.”
“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,” added Professor Alvaro Mata, Chair in Biomedical Engineering & Biomaterials.
“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.
“We have started this process with our start-up company Mintech-Bio and hope to have a first product out next year; this innovation could soon be helping patients worldwide.”