Transcription
Scientists just discovered how to reverse tooth decay using sheep's wool. Say what?
Our teeth are protected by a hard mineral layer called enamel. It's the hardest material in your body, but once it's gone, it never grows back, leading to pain, cavities, and making you sheepish about your smile.
But now, researchers at King's College London have discovered a way to use keratin, the protein found in hair, skin, and sheep's wool to repair damaged teeth. They began by extracting the keratin from wool using a reducing agent, which was then mixed with water to form a thin, flexible keratin film.
The team applied the film to teeth that had been artificially damaged to mimic the early stages of tooth decay. Then, when the coated teeth were exposed to saliva containing calcium and phosphate, the same minerals that naturally strengthen enamel, something remarkable happened. The keratin acted like a scaffold, encouraging those minerals to crystallize in a highly ordered way, creating a structure that looked and behaved much like natural enamel.
Over time, the layer not only held together, but continued to recruit more minerals, making it stronger and more durable. In tests, the keratin coating proved significantly harder than the plastic resins dentists currently use, suggesting it could both restore protective enamel surface and seal off the sensitive inner layers of the teeth.
The vision is this material could be incorporated into everyday products like toothpaste or mouthwash, giving people a way to regenerate enamel as part of their normal dental care. And the good news is that keratin is natural, sustainable, toothcoled, and cheap, meaning that you won't get fleeced by this bargain solution.
If you like science that turns winter wear into dental care, >> awesome. I think fall is for