Researchers led by the University of Nottingham have created a fluoride-free biomimetic material designed to imitate the protein framework involved in enamel formation.
When the gel is applied to damaged enamel, its engineered proteins form a microscopic scaffold. Calcium and phosphate naturally present in saliva are then recruited onto this scaffold, encouraging the growth of tightly organized apatite crystals that integrate with the remaining tooth surface.
In laboratory tests on human teeth, the technique regenerated enamel-like mineral layers up to about 10 micrometers thick. The newly formed material reproduced important features of natural enamel and recovered key mechanical properties including hardness, stiffness, wear resistance, and resistance to acidic conditions.
The technology is now moving beyond laboratory experiments. Mintech-Bio, the company commercializing the research, began a pilot human clinical study in July 2026 testing its treatment, called Epinamel, in people with early enamel damage known as white-spot lesions. The trial is designed to evaluate patients over approximately six weeks.
There is an important limitation: this does not yet mean deep cavities can simply be regrown instead of filled. The regenerated layer demonstrated so far is extremely thin, making the technology more immediately relevant to early enamel erosion, initial decay and tooth sensitivity. Larger cavities and severely damaged teeth would still require conventional dental treatment.
If clinical testing confirms that the technique is safe and effective in the mouth, however, it could mark an important shift toward dentistry that actually repairs tooth structure rather than simply replacing what has been lost.
Source: Hasan, A. et al. Biomimetic supramolecular protein matrix restores structure and properties of human dental enamel. Nature Communications 16, 9434 (2025), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64982-y; Mintech-Bio Epinamel clinical study NCT07730359.
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