According to Wired magazine's website reported on April 3, Professor Sally Marshall of the University of California, San Francisco said, "We expect to find dental caries in advance and then mineralize." Professor Marshall introduced the method of tooth internal reconstruction at the spring meeting of the Society for Materials Research held last week.
It is undoubtedly good news to "restore" teeth with your own materials. From 65438 to 1940s, dentists have used metal and chemical fillings to repair decayed teeth for over 100 years. The outer layer of enamel and dentin is quite hard and is called the hardest part of the human body. They have the ability to repair themselves.
The outer layer of tooth bread is enamel, which is formed by the growth of inorganic crystals on a regular lattice. Dentin is located under a ceramic coating, much like hard clay reinforced by collagen fibers. However, because teeth are made of minerals, they are easily corroded. Acidic substances such as bacteria and Coca-Cola drinks can remove minerals from enamel.
According to Professor Marshall, under normal circumstances, the tooth itself will continue to repair a small amount of damage, but once the "defense system" of the tooth is broken, bacteria will enter the dentin and cause tooth decay, which is commonly called dental caries. Acidic substances produced by bacteria will slowly corrode minerals in dentin. The hardness of normal dentin is twice that of pine, but the hardness of damaged dentin is as soft as rubber. Professor Marshall's latest research mainly uses calcium ion (charged particles) solution to reconstruct damaged dentin.
By injecting a layer of calcium ion solution into a damaged tooth, Professor Marshall has been able to remineralize some teeth. The challenge she faces is how to regenerate the whole dentin crystal. If a damaged tooth wants to recover completely, crystals must form from the bottom of the tooth to the enamel.
Stephen, a professor of dentistry at the University of Michigan? Bernie pointed out that although many research groups are committed to tooth regeneration, Marshall's exploration in the field of dentistry has an "incredible height" because her breakthrough research work is conducive to a deeper understanding of tooth structure and its self-repair function.