Laser-assisted Rapid Mineralization of Human Tooth Enamel

The human body has difficulty repairing damaged dental enamel, an acellular hard tissue. Researchers have sought feasible biomimicry strategies to repair enamel defects; however, few have been successfully translated to clinical applications. In this study, we propose a new method for achieving rapi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2017-08, Vol.7 (1), p.9611-10, Article 9611
Main Authors: Sun, Muyang, Wu, Nier, Chen, Haifeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Biomimetics
Chelating agents
Crystal growth
Crystals
Dental enamel
Enamel
Humanities and Social Sciences
Mechanical properties
Mineralization
multidisciplinary
Remineralization
Saliva
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Teeth
Therapeutic applications
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Summary:The human body has difficulty repairing damaged dental enamel, an acellular hard tissue. Researchers have sought feasible biomimicry strategies to repair enamel defects; however, few have been successfully translated to clinical applications. In this study, we propose a new method for achieving rapid enamel mineralization under a near-physiological environment. Through treatment with a laser and chelating agents, 15 μm crystals could be grown compactly on an enamel substrate in less than 20 min. The compact crystal layer had similar structure as native enamel prisms and high elastic modulus. This layer also had the potential for further remineralization in saliva. The benefit of using laser can not only speed up the mineralization, but also control the crystal growth precisely where in need. A mechanism for how laser and chelating agents synergistically function is also proposed. This strategy offers a possibility for enamel-biomimicking repair in dental clinics.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-10082-x