Chinese researchers are a step closer to being able to regrow tooth enamel in the mouth. 

Haifeng Chen and colleagues at Peking University, Beijing, etched a tooth's surface with phosphoric acid to create nucleation sites and then immersed it in a solution of calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions. The ions reacted at the nucleation sites, with help from a chelating agent called N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylene-diamine-N,N ,N -triacetic acid (HEDTA), to form a new layer of enamel. 

The method could be used to repair damaged teeth or as sealant to prevent cavities, says Chen. Although other methods of making enamel have been developed, none of them can be carried out in dental clinics because they require harsh reaction conditions. The new method is simpler and less expensive than existing methods and can be carried out at body temperature.

'The beauty of this process is that we are on the way to rebuilding our tooth enamel with exactly the same matter and microstructures as natural enamel,' states Chen.

But HEDTA is not safe for consumption so the team is working on a device to separate the HEDTA solution from the mouth so it can be used in the clinic. 'We are also trying to use some small peptides to mimic the enamel protein structure and replace the HEDTA that directs the organisation of enamel crystals,' Chen explains. 'These peptides will bind to these crystals and make our enamel structure less brittle.' 

'This novel procedure offers the possibility of real alternatives to replacement crowns and veneers, which are expensive to place and difficult to maintain,' comments Colin Robinson, an expert in biomineralisation at the Leeds Dental Institute, UK.

Sylvia Pegg

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