Enamel cannot be regenerated, but now science has done it

Enamel is naturally formed and cannot be regenerated, but a new scientific study makes tooth enamel "regrowth", paving the way for future dental treatment.

The new method uses a gel made of calcium phosphate ions, according to a report in Science Advances by a team of scientists from Zhejiang University (China) .

Accordingly, they apply a thin layer of gel on the surface of damaged teeth to stimulate the development of epitaxite crystals in tooth enamel. This process mimics the development of the hierarchical structure and mechanical properties of hard enamel tissue in nature, so that damaged enamel can be fully restored.

When the enamel layer disappears, the teeth will become weak, prone to cavities or other dental diseases.(Photo: Cresh).

As a result, within 48 hours, the new gel layer repaired itself, restoring tooth enamel. However, the major drawback of this new material is that it can only produce a layer of enamel about 3 micrometres, about 400 times thinner than normal enamel.

In the near future, the team will complete the gel test on mouse teeth and proceed to apply it on human teeth in the natural environment.

Enamel is the name for the outer layer of teeth , extremely complex structure. The thin layers of enamel intertwined in the scales of the fish make it the hardest tissue in the human body.

Although very hard to break, but the enamel is susceptible to corrosion, revealing the dentin inside. When the enamel layer disappears, the teeth will become weak, prone to cavities or other dental diseases.

The problem is that the enamel of human teeth, when damaged, cannot be regenerated. A popular way to protect enamel-losing teeth is to fill and seal them. However, the durability of this method is not long.

The new discovery by scientists at Zhejiang University opens a new direction for the treatment of dental disease in particular and the biological regeneration of complex structural materials in general in the future.