A newly developed dental gel may be able to rebuild damaged tooth enamel, potentially creating a new approach to preventing decay and restoring worn teeth.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham's School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering created the material to imitate the biological processes that form enamel naturally. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest the gel could repair enamel that has been weakened by mineral loss or erosion, reinforce enamel that is still healthy, and help protect teeth from future damage.
A Gel That Recreates Natural Enamel Growth
Dentists could apply the gel quickly using a process similar to the way fluoride treatments are administered today. Unlike conventional fluoride products, however, the new gel contains no fluoride. Instead, it is made from proteins designed to reproduce important functions of the natural proteins involved in enamel development during infancy.
After the gel is placed on a tooth, it forms a thin but durable coating that penetrates the tooth's surface and fills small cracks, pores, and other damaged areas. This coating then acts as a framework for rebuilding the mineral structure of enamel.
