What if the secret to stronger, cavity-proof teeth was hiding in your hair?
It sounds wild, but scientists from King’s College London may have found a way to use keratin, the same protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails, to rebuild tooth enamel.
Yep, you read that right. Your next toothpaste might literally come from your hair.
Turning Hair Into a Tooth Protector
Tooth enamel is a bit of a puzzle. It’s the hardest material in your body, tougher than bone, but once it’s lost, it’s lost for good.
Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, a consultant in prosthodontics and the senior author of the study, explained, “Unlike bones and hair, enamel does not regenerate. Once it’s lost, it’s gone forever.”
This is what makes this discovery so exciting.
The researchers found that when keratin interacts with the minerals in your saliva, it forms a protective, mineralized layer that mimics real enamel, even down to its structure. In lab tests, this keratin-based coating didn’t just slow erosion; it completely prevented it.
So instead of patching damage like current fluoride treatments do, keratin helps your teeth heal on their own.
In the lab, scientists extracted keratin from wool (a sustainable and abundant source) and applied it to tooth surfaces. When exposed to saliva, the protein naturally organized itself into a crystal-like structure that acts as a scaffold, attracting calcium and phosphate ions and slowly building a durable enamel-like shell.
Over time, this coating hardened into something almost indistinguishable from natural enamel, both in look and strength.
It’s like giving your teeth a new suit of armor, grown from something that used to be considered waste.
Beyond Fluoride: A More Sustainable Smile
Traditional dental materials rely heavily on synthetic resins and plastics, which can be toxic, short-lived, and environmentally harmful. Keratin flips that idea on its head.
As Sara Gamea, PhD researcher and first author of the paper, explained, “Keratin offers a transformative alternative to current dental treatments. It’s sustainably sourced from biological waste such as hair and wool, and it eliminates the need for toxic plastic resins. It even looks more natural, matching the tooth’s original color.”
That means this approach isn’t just healthier for your mouth. It’s better for the planet, too.
The team envisions two main products:
- A daily-use toothpaste for ongoing enamel protection.
- A professional gel applied by dentists, sort of like a clear nail varnish for your teeth.
If all goes well, these keratin-based products could hit the market within two to three years.
And yes, that means your next dentist visit might involve a conversation that starts with, “So, this came from your hair…”
“This technology bridges the gap between biology and dentistry,” said Gamea. “We’re entering an era where biotechnology allows us not just to treat symptoms, but to restore natural function, using the body’s own materials.”
Dr. Elsharkawy agrees, “With the right partnerships, we may soon be growing stronger, healthier smiles from something as simple as a haircut.”
The study marks a significant step toward biotech-powered regenerative dentistry. A future where losing enamel might not be a lifelong problem anymore.
Because who knew? The answer to tooth decay might’ve been growing on your head all along.
Journal Reference
- Gamea, S., Radvar, E., Athanasiadou, D., Chan, R. L., Sero, G. D., Ware, E., Kundi, S., Patel, A., Horamee, S., Hadadi, S., Carlsen, M., Allison, L., Fleck, R., Andrew Chan, K. L., Banerjee, A., Pugno, N., Liebi, M., Sharpe, P. T., Carneiro, K., . . . Elsharkawy, S. Biomimetic Mineralization of Keratin Scaffolds for Enamel Regeneration. Advanced Healthcare Materials, e02465. DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202502465
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