We all know, once tooth enamel breaks or wears away, it doesn’t grow back. That’s why dentists guide for artificial fillings.
Soon these dental fillings will be a thing of the past
Researchers from China’s Zhejiang University and Jiujiang Research Institute have developed a gel that can re-grow the external surface of damaged tooth enamel.
According to research published in the journal Science Advances, this gel helped mouse teeth regrow enamel within 48 hours. However the method is yet to be tested on humans.
Researchers prepared this gel by mixing calcium and phosphate ions (minerals which are found in enamel) with the chemical trimethylamine in an alcohol solution.
The scientists tested the gel so formed on damaged and detached human teeth that was kept in a solution that recreates the mouth environment. Within 48 hours, this gel succeeded in repairing the enamel. However this gel managed to generate a layer of about 3 micrometres which is about 400 times thinner than undamaged enamel.
This great accomplishment is yet to tested in the hostile mouth environment
According to scientist Zhaoming Liu, “Our newly regenerated enamel has the same structure and similar mechanical properties as native enamel,”
“We hope to realise tooth enamel regrowth without using fillings which contain totally different materials and we hope, if all goes smoothly, to start trials in people within one to two years.”
