Toothpaste made with hair could repair damaged teeth and stop the early stages of decay, a new study has found.
Scientists at King’s College London discovered keratin, a protein found in hair, skin and wool that is often used in reparative shampoos, can also help with teeth.
“We think this is a game changer, an industry-mover to introduce keratin as an actual product within our daily use to protect and heal your tooth enamel without even realising,” Dr Sherif Elsharkawy, from King’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, told Sky News.
“If you have a micro crack or a very small defect, it would heal itself without you even realising.”
Many tooth problems come from damaged enamel, which does not regenerate – once it is lost, it is gone forever.
When the keratin mixes with the minerals in saliva, it produces a protective coating to mimic the structure and function of natural enamel.
Tooth enamel before and after keratin treatment. Pic: King’s College, London
Fluoride toothpastes and fluoride added to drinking water are currently relied on to slow enamel erosion but keratin-based treatments were found to stop it completely.
“Keratin offers a transformative alternative to current dental treatments,” said Sara Gamea, PhD researcher at King’s College London and first author of the study.
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The treatment could be through a daily toothpaste or as a professionally applied gel, similar to nail varnish, in more extreme cases.
It could be made available for the public in two to three years, according to the scientists, and is seen as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional dental restoration.
The test products developed at King’s College were made from wool, but in the future, Dr Elsharkawy said people could even collect their own hair to extract keratin.
However, for the moment, the King’s team is “going with sheep’s wool because it’s highly abundant and it’s a biowaste, it’s sustainable and it’s good for the farmers.”
The toothpaste will look and feel just like standard fluoride paste, with a minty flavour and foaming texture but instead contain enough keratin for daily use.
“The aim is that we want this to be affordable and to reach the public,” said Dr Elsharkawy.
“We don’t think this is going to be a premium product – we would like to get everyone to be able to access it.”
