Image credit – Zhejiang University/Science Advances
There is a reason why we have been told to avoid eating certain types of food and drinking certain types of drinks, like soft drinks. This is because there are types of food and drink that can erode the enamel on our teeth. This in turn can cause more complicated tooth problems due to the fact that enamel cannot self-repair or grow back.
While there are some toothpastes and mouthwash that can help “remineralize” your teeth, it’s just not quite the same. However, there is some good news because according to scientists at Zhejiang University in China in a study published in Science Advances, they might have found a way to help regrow the enamel on our teeth.
This was achieved by developing a way to produce tiny clusters of calcium phosphate, the main component found in enamel. They then tested these calcium clusters on crystalline hydroxyapatite, which is said to be similar to natural enamel, and found that these clusters managed to fuse onto the material much tighter compared to more traditional methods of repairing enamel, like using resin.
According to the scientists, they claim that this is a particularly important step because over time, it will start to crystalize where it eventually grew to the point where its strength and wear-resistance was similar to natural, undamaged enamel. The scientists have said that they have spoken to dentists and have come to the conclusion that this is a method that could be used in the future, should it be proven to work clinically.
Filed in . Read more about Health, Science and Social Hit. Source: theguardian