Nottingham gel regrows enamel without fluoride — SkimNews
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- University of Nottingham researchers from the School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering developed a gel that regrows damaged tooth enamel, published in Nature Communications in 2025 as "Biomimetic supramolecular protein matrix restores structure and properties of human dental enamel."
- The new gel contains no fluoride and instead uses proteins mimicking those that guide enamel formation in childhood; applied like a fluoride varnish, it forms a thin, durable coating that fills microscopic cracks and organizes calcium and phosphate from saliva into crystals aligned with existing enamel, a process called epitaxial mineralization.
- Regenerated enamel tested under conditions simulating everyday use — tooth brushing, chewing and exposure to acidic foods — displayed mechanical properties comparable to those of healthy natural enamel.
- Abshar Hasan, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral fellow, said the material promotes integrated, organized crystal growth on demineralized or eroded enamel and exposed dentine, "recovering the architecture of our natural healthy enamel."
- Exposed dentine, the softer layer beneath enamel whose tiny channels transmit sensations toward the tooth's nerves, can be coated with an enamel-like mineral layer that the researchers say will help reduce sensitivity and improve the attachment of fillings and other dental restorations.
- Mintech-Bio, the start-up through which the researchers are commercializing the technology, has begun product development and hopes to have a first product out next year.
- Laboratory results do not yet establish how the treatment will perform over extended periods in patients, and further development and clinical validation are needed before it becomes an established dental treatment.
Why it matters: Enamel deterioration contributes to dental problems affecting nearly half the world's population, and existing fluoride varnishes and remineralization products repair only early mineral loss. If clinical validation succeeds, dentists gain a fluoride-free route to rebuild enamel and cover exposed dentine, with Mintech-Bio targeting a first product next year.
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