Researchers in China have shown that the organic component of mother of pearl can help repair damaged teeth, by acting as a template for the mineralisation of tooth enamel.
Tooth enamel is made up of rod-like crystals of hydroxyapatite, a calcium phosphate mineral. It is the hardest tissue in the body, but is susceptible to erosion by food and bacterial acids. Once gone, it never naturally reforms, and cavities must be fixed using manmade materials. Methods of artificially rebuilding enamel often involve extreme temperature, pressure or pH conditions that make them impractical for clinical use.
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Facile In-vitro Hydroxyapatite Remineralization of Human Enamel with Remarkable Hardness
Xin Li, Danmei Pan, Shi Lin, Zanyong Zhuang and Zhang Lin
CrystEngComm, 2013, DOI: 10.1039/C3CE26947G
