Dr. Elsharkawy and wool. Credit score: King’s School London
Toothpaste produced from your personal hair might provide a sustainable and clinically efficient solution to shield and restore broken tooth.
In a brand new examine, scientists found that keratin, a protein present in hair, pores and skin and wool, can restore tooth enamel and cease early phases of decay.
The King’s School London crew of scientists found that keratin produces a protecting coating that mimics the construction and performance of pure enamel when it comes into contact with minerals in saliva.
Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, senior creator and advisor in prosthodontics at King’s School London, stated, “Unlike bones and hair, enamel does not regenerate. Once it is lost, it’s gone forever.”
Acidic meals and drinks, poor oral hygiene, and getting older all contribute to enamel erosion and decay, resulting in tooth sensitivity, ache and ultimately tooth loss.
Whereas fluoride toothpastes are presently used to sluggish this course of, keratin-based remedies had been discovered to cease it utterly. Keratin kinds a dense mineral layer that protects the tooth and seals off uncovered nerve channels that trigger sensitivity, providing each structural and symptomatic aid.
The remedy may very well be delivered by way of a toothpaste for day by day use or as a professionally utilized gel, much like nail varnish, for extra focused restore. The crew is already exploring pathways for medical software and believes that keratin-based enamel regeneration may very well be made obtainable to the general public inside the subsequent two to 3 years.
Of their examine, printed in Superior Healthcare Supplies, the scientists extracted keratin from wool. They found that when keratin is utilized to the tooth floor and comes into contact with the minerals naturally current in saliva, it kinds a extremely organized, crystal-like scaffold that mimics the construction and performance of pure enamel.
Over time, this scaffold continues to draw calcium and phosphate ions, resulting in the expansion of a protecting enamel-like coating across the tooth. This marks a big step ahead in regenerative dentistry.
Sara Gamea, Ph.D. researcher at King’s School London and first creator of the examine, added, “Keratin offers a transformative alternative to current dental treatments. Not only is it sustainably sourced from biological waste materials like hair and skin, it also eliminates the need for traditional plastic resins, commonly used in restorative dentistry, which are toxic and less durable. Keratin also looks much more natural than these treatments, as it can more closely match the color of the original tooth.”
As considerations develop over the sustainability of well being care supplies and long-term fluoride use, this discovery positions keratin as a number one candidate for future dental care. The analysis additionally aligns with broader efforts to embrace round, waste-to-health improvements, remodeling what would in any other case be discarded right into a invaluable medical useful resource.
Gamea stated, “This technology bridges the gap between biology and dentistry, providing an eco-friendly biomaterial that mirrors natural processes.”
Dr. Elsharkawy concluded, “We are entering an exciting era where biotechnology allows us to not just treat symptoms but restore biological function using the body’s own materials. With further development and the right industry partnerships, we may soon be growing stronger, healthier smiles from something as simple as a haircut.”
Extra data:
Sara Gamea et al, Biomimetic Mineralization of Keratin Scaffolds for Enamel Regeneration, Superior Healthcare Supplies (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202502465
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