Costa Rica News – A Costa Rican, Álvaro Mata, has developed a material that can be useful in regenerating tooth enamel and ending tooth sensitivities. Pain, hypersensitivity and loss of teeth affect 50% of the world’s population.
He and other scientists conducted research at Queen Mary University in London. They generated a material similar to tooth enamel, the hardest tissue in the body.
While tooth enamel is very durable, after years of exposure to acidic food and extreme temperatures it can be lost and is never regenerated because once the tissue is formed it remains acellular, becoming mineralized.
They developed a way to grow minerals in an orderly manner in scales and sizes required and then took the mineralized structures that mimic human tooth enamel to a new level. They took the synthetic protein, diluted it in a solvent and then cross-linked it. The end product is a membrane similar in appearance to a contact lens. It is exposed to calcium phosphate and can be developed into acid-resistant bandages to infiltrate microscopic holes where tooth enamel and nerves meet.
Filling these could stop pain and sensitivity by blocking irritation from food and drinks. Similar applications for osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases may be made in the future.
