The end of fillings could be on the horizon. Scientists may have found a way to successfully grow back tooth enamel. Many laboratories have attempted to recreate the outer protective layer of teeth. The complex structure of overlapping microscopic rods has proved elusive.
Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body but it cannot repair itself when damaged. As a result, many people are left exposed to cavities and eventually needing fillings or a tooth extraction.
Now scientists at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, found that mixing calcium and phosphate ions with the chemical called triethylamine in an alcohol solution causes enamel to grow with the same structure as in teeth.
When applied to whole human tooth, it repaired the enamel layer to a thickness of around 2.7 micrometres. The same structure and orientation of natural enamel was acheived within 48 hours.
Changyu Shao writes in the journal Science Advances: “Although a range of materials, such as composite resins, ceramics, and amalgam, have been developed for the restoration of tooth enamel, they have failed to achieve permanent repair because of the imperfect combination between these foreign materials and the native enamel.
“However, the layer newly regrown by remineralization can be integrated into native enamel such that the repair would be permanent, and this process may be developed as an effective cure for enamel erosion in clinical practice.
“We believe this will be developed as a promising enamel repair material for dental applications in the future.”
A promising outlook for tooth repair
The only way damaged teeth can currently be repaired is with a crown or filling. Many scientists are looking for ways to grow back teeth.
In 2017 King’s College London discovered that the drug Tideglusib stimulates the stem cells contained in the pulp of teeth. The result is that they generate new dentine – the mineralised material under the enamel.
Teeth already have the capability of regenerating dentine if the pulp inside the tooth becomes exposed through a trauma or infection. However, they can only naturally make a very thin layer. The layer is not enough to fill the deep cavities caused by tooth decay.
Scientists showed it is possible to soak a small biodegradable sponge with the drug and insert it into a cavity. The process triggers the growth of dentin and repairs the damage within six weeks.
Earlier this month scientists at the University of Plymouth discovered a new group of stem cells which form skeletal tissue and contribute to the making dentin. They also showed that a gene called Dlk1 sparks the stem cells into action. This process can mend damage such as decay, crumbling or cracked teeth.
Professor Damien Walmsley, Scientific Advisor for the British Dental Association, has some thoughts on the new Chinese research: “This is exciting but it’s still a very long way off. “A lot of other things need to come together before we can successfully grow back a tooth.
“I think we’ll eventually get there in ten, 15, 20 years.”
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Read the original story by Sarah Knapton in the Telegram.
