As someone who religiously brushes their teeth twice a day, doesn't drink soda or eat sweets, flosses and rinses after eating anything and sees the dentist twice a year, I still find enamel decay...
As someone who religiously brushes their teeth twice a day, doesn't drink soda or eat sweets, flosses and rinses after eating anything and sees the dentist twice a year, I still find enamel decay to be unavoidable - to the point where some of my teeth have started to go translucent.
This is very much one of those 'in 5 years!' types of tech articles that may not pan out, but I really hope they succeed!
As someone with dental trauma and anxiety I'm really hopeful for this tech too! I'm not yet there w/ dental habits but I'm working on it! I'm using 3 types of toothpaste combined-- one for...
As someone with dental trauma and anxiety I'm really hopeful for this tech too!
I'm not yet there w/ dental habits but I'm working on it! I'm using 3 types of toothpaste combined-- one for sensitive teeth, one with hydroxyapatite, and one with recaldent; I rub toothpaste on my floss; I rinse with water after eating or drinking anything; I go twice a year for regular cleaning. Still have bad enamel :( But at least at my last dental visit my dentist actually complimented me for taking very good care of my teeth. I even got a discount because cleaning was so fast! That was a first for me.
As someone who unfortunately never developed good dental habits and only brushes my teeth once a day despite eating way too much sugar, I really hope this is as effective as this sounds and is...
As someone who unfortunately never developed good dental habits and only brushes my teeth once a day despite eating way too much sugar, I really hope this is as effective as this sounds and is affordable. This sounds like it could change dental care.
Summary Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a gel to repair tooth enamel Previously developed enamel restoration materials and techniques were limited by disadvantages such...
Summary
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a gel to repair tooth enamel
Previously developed enamel restoration materials and techniques were limited by disadvantages such as "having toxic and noxious components (e.g., triethylamine27), time-consuming application processes (e.g., 30 min23, 15 min27, 12 h26, 10 min/day28), partial recovery of architecture and functional properties (e.g., aprismatic enamel9, prismatic enamel23,25,26,27), and limited control of the mineralisation process"
This new gel is designed to restore enamel in a "patient and clinically-friendly manner", with an application process under 5 minutes
Testing on human tooth samples demonstrate the gel's capacity to restore enamel even when enamel erosion has reached bare dentine, as well as the gel's resistance to normal wear conditions such as toothbrushing, grinding, chewing, and acid exposure
Researchers have created a bioinspired gel that can regenerate tooth enamel by mimicking natural growth processes. The fluoride-free material forms a mineral-rich layer that restores enamel’s strength and structure while preventing decay. It can even repair exposed dentine and reduce sensitivity. Early testing shows it performs like natural enamel, with potential for rapid clinical use.
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Once applied, the gel forms a thin yet durable layer that seeps into the surface of the teeth, filling in tiny cracks and holes. It then acts as a scaffold that captures calcium and phosphate ions from saliva. These minerals are carefully organized into new enamel through a process known as epitaxial mineralization. This allows the regenerated enamel to integrate seamlessly with the existing tooth structure, restoring both strength and appearance.
The material can also be used on exposed dentine, creating an enamel-like coating that helps reduce tooth sensitivity and improves how restorations, such as fillings or veneers, bond to the tooth surface.
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Because enamel cannot naturally regenerate once it is lost, dental care has long focused on prevention or temporary protection. Existing treatments like fluoride varnishes and remineralization products can help relieve symptoms but do not actually rebuild enamel.
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Professor Alvaro Mata, Chair in Biomedical Engineering & Biomaterials and lead investigator on the project, emphasized the technology's practical potential: "We are very excited because the technology has been designed with the clinician and patient in mind. It is safe, can be easily and rapidly applied, and it is scalable... We have started this process with our start-up company Mintech-Bio and hope to have a first product out by next year; this innovation could soon be helping patients worldwide."
To facilitate translation of the technology, we have conducted the experiments following steps that are commonly used in dental practices including: (i) prophylaxis using abrasive paste to remove the pellicle layer, (ii) acid etching using a 37% phosphoric acid gel for 30 seconds, (iii) washing with water to remove debris, and (iv) air drying the tooth surface for 30 s. Afterwards, the ELR solution was deposited and air dried on the tooth surface in 3-4 min.
...
We confirmed the performance of this remineralised tissue by testing a collection of key functional properties, including integration to the underlying tissue, stiffness, hardness, coefficient of friction, wear strength, and stability to extensive physiological use, including abrasion from toothbrushing and chewing and grinding, fracture due to grinding, and erosion due to exposure to acidic solutions. Our mineralising technology offers a practical and clinically friendly solution to remineralise thin (up to ~ 10 μm) layers of lost enamel in a manner that regains both structure and function of healthy enamel tissue. This capability far surpasses current commercial dental remineralisation alternatives and overcomes key translational obstacles that have so far prevented the capacity to regrow enamel tissue in patients, even as thin functional layers. Moreover, our findings demonstrate a capacity to grow enamel-like structures under conditions that closely imitate various mechanical and chemical challenges found in the mouth. However, these tests do not fully recreate the complexity of the in vivo oral environment and, consequently, to fully confirm the capacity to regenerate natural enamel would require in vivo validation, which we envision to pursue in future work.
As someone who religiously brushes their teeth twice a day, doesn't drink soda or eat sweets, flosses and rinses after eating anything and sees the dentist twice a year, I still find enamel decay to be unavoidable - to the point where some of my teeth have started to go translucent.
This is very much one of those 'in 5 years!' types of tech articles that may not pan out, but I really hope they succeed!
As someone with dental trauma and anxiety I'm really hopeful for this tech too!
I'm not yet there w/ dental habits but I'm working on it! I'm using 3 types of toothpaste combined-- one for sensitive teeth, one with hydroxyapatite, and one with recaldent; I rub toothpaste on my floss; I rinse with water after eating or drinking anything; I go twice a year for regular cleaning. Still have bad enamel :( But at least at my last dental visit my dentist actually complimented me for taking very good care of my teeth. I even got a discount because cleaning was so fast! That was a first for me.
As someone who unfortunately never developed good dental habits and only brushes my teeth once a day despite eating way too much sugar, I really hope this is as effective as this sounds and is affordable. This sounds like it could change dental care.
I'm still working on my dental habits and I hope for the same!
Summary
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a gel to repair tooth enamel
Previously developed enamel restoration materials and techniques were limited by disadvantages such as "having toxic and noxious components (e.g., triethylamine27), time-consuming application processes (e.g., 30 min23, 15 min27, 12 h26, 10 min/day28), partial recovery of architecture and functional properties (e.g., aprismatic enamel9, prismatic enamel23,25,26,27), and limited control of the mineralisation process"
This new gel is designed to restore enamel in a "patient and clinically-friendly manner", with an application process under 5 minutes
Testing on human tooth samples demonstrate the gel's capacity to restore enamel even when enamel erosion has reached bare dentine, as well as the gel's resistance to normal wear conditions such as toothbrushing, grinding, chewing, and acid exposure
A NewScientist article about this gel reports that human clinical trials are set for 2026
A startup company, Mintech-Bio, has been established to develop this product
Excerpts from linked ScienceDaily article
Excerpts from original study: Biomimetic supramolecular protein matrix restores structure and properties of human dental enamel - University of Nottingham - 2025-11-04