Scientists discover way to 'grow' tooth enamel [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Experts produce clusters of enamel-like calcium phosphate to crack age-old problem
Nicola Davis
@NicolaKSDavis
Fri 30 Aug 2019 14.00 EDT Last modified on Fri 30 Aug 2019 14.01 EDT

Scientists say they have finally cracked the problem of repairing tooth enamel.

Though enamel is the hardest tissue in the body, it cannot self-repair. Now scientists have discovered a method by which its complex structure can be reproduced and the enamel essentially “grown” back.

The team behind the research say the materials are cheap and can be prepared on a large scale. “After intensive discussion with dentists, we believe that this new method can be widely used in future,” said Dr Zhaoming Liu, co-author of the research from Zhejiang University in China.

Tooth decay is extremely common: according to 2016 figures about 2.4 billion people worldwide live with caries in permanent teeth, while 486 million children have decay in their milk teeth.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/aug/30/scientists-grow-tooth-enamel