New method allows for the acquisition of mineralized structures that are nearly the same as enamel and even stronger. It will help repair damaged surfaces of teeth and protect them from damage.
Enzyme is the strongest tissue in the human body. However, even this hard layer can thin and decay, causing the entire tooth to degrade. To repair it, the dentist turned to implanting artificial enamel. In this case, special materials and preparations are used that mimic the natural ingredients and properties of enamel.
Scientists at Ural Federal University (UrFU) have demonstrated a method to obtain artificial tooth enamel, which has a structure that is almost the same as natural tooth enamel and is even higher in strength than natural tooth enamel. This is described in an article published in the magazine " Engineering Results ". This work was done with colleagues from Voronezh and at Azhar University in Egypt.
The strength of tooth enamel is produced by very high content of hydroxyapatite, a mineral that provides strength to our bones and teeth. Researchers at the Ural Federal University, led by Pavel Seredin, also used this crystal , and they have learned how to get the same structure as natural tooth enamel from it. This requires certain conditions and complex mixtures of organic acids, including some amino acids , such as arginine , lysine and histidine .
New material is applied to the surface of the living teeth, and then the formation of the mineralized layer is studied using electrons and atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This work shows that the material forms a 300-500 nanometer thick layer, with many of the crystals arranged in the same arrangement as the natural enamel. Moreover, artificial enamel has even higher hardness than natural enamel.
