Did you ever imagine that your morning routine might include brushing your teeth with toothpaste made from hair?
Researchers at King’s College London have developed a toothpaste ingredient made from keratin—the protein in hair, skin, and wool—that can repair early enamel damage and restore teeth’s shine and strength, potentially eliminating the need for drilling in early stages of decay.
Keratin helped remineralize teeth, repairing superficial dental caries. When keratin extract was applied to teeth in lab tests, it attracted calcium and other minerals needed to rebuild a smooth layer that fused with the teeth’s natural enamel.
“Keratin points to a realistic pathway for true enamel regeneration, not just protection,” Sherif Elsharkawy, senior author and consultant in prosthodontics at King’s College London, told the Epoch Times.
How Hair Protein Repairs Teeth
The study, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, found that keratin can help restore early enamel damage.
The researchers extracted keratin from wool and processed it into thin films, though keratin can also be extracted from hair. When applied to teeth, it attracted minerals such as calcium and phosphate—needed to make enamel—to form a crystal-like scaffold that mimics enamel’s structure and function.
In the mouth, fresh saliva keeps calcium flowing, and its constant replenishment helps teeth stay balanced and resist acid attacks. In the laboratory study, calcium-phosphate solutions were used in place of saliva.
When applied to extracted human teeth with early enamel lesions, the films infiltrated weak spots and guided new mineral growth, helping the enamel regain its smooth surface and much of its original strength.
This method essentially uses the body’s natural repair mechanisms, leveraging the calcium and phosphate already present in saliva to rebuild the tooth’s structure.
The Benefits of Using Keratin
Tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease in children and adults. It drives dental care costs, which make up 3.6 percent of national health spending, with nearly half spent on fillings.
Enamel, the hard covering of teeth, has no living cells, so the body’s healing process can’t repair it. Once it’s gone, it can’t grow back on its own.
Dr. Fatima Khan, dentist and co-founder at Riven Oral Care, who wasn’t part of the study, explained that while enamel can’t regenerate, it can be remineralized and strengthened.
Traditional treatments such as fluoride create a new layer on top of the enamel. In contrast, the keratin scaffold actually guides new minerals to rebuild the existing damage from within.
A 2023 review of 14 in vitro studies showed that fillings can damage cells, with toxicity increasing at higher doses and longer exposure. The harm was linked to glutathione loss, oxidative stress, and in some cases, cell death.
The keratin approach offers several advantages over traditional methods. Unlike synthetic treatments, keratin can be sustainably sourced from abundant natural materials such as wool, and it’s inherently biocompatible since the protein is already found in human hair, skin, and nails. The treatment provides true structural repair by rebuilding enamel architecture from within rather than simply coating the surface, and it requires no drilling or artificial fillings for early-stage decay.
Keratin can be processed in water and promotes mineral growth using the calcium and phosphate in saliva, Elsharkawy said. “This reduces reliance on synthetic additives and supports a safer, more environmentally responsible approach.”
The researchers believe keratin may also help manage dentin hypersensitivity, which can develop when enamel wears away and exposes the softer layer beneath. In such cases, keratin can seal exposed dentin with a smooth, enamel-like layer that blocks acids and fluids, easing sensitivity.
Preventive steps are still key to preventing further erosion, Khan noted. “If erosion or decay advances, you will require composite restoration, veneers, and possible root canals and crowns.”
What’s Next
Keratin films have only been tested in the lab. Human trials are still needed to see how they hold up in real mouths, exposed to food, bacteria, and daily wear.
Other research has taken similar biomimetic approaches, including hydroxyapatite treatments that use minerals naturally found in teeth to fill in microscopic cracks and voids on the surface of the teeth. However, Elsharkawy said keratin’s advantage lies in its ability to create integrated, structurally ordered mineral layers rather than superficial coatings.
While technological solutions such as keratin films represent important advances, some dental experts suggest that preventing decay remains crucial regardless of treatment options.
What’s more important is to address the root cause—the underlying infection, by eliminating the bacteria causing it and developing a healthy mouth microbiome, Dr. Ellie Phillips, a dentist, said.
She promotes “mouth resting”—avoiding snacking or sipping for 60 to 90 minutes after meals to allow saliva time to naturally remineralize teeth.
This practice not only helps enamel but also supports healthy bacteria linked to heart, lung, and brain health, she said.
Results from mouth resting can be boosted by preparing tooth surfaces with effective cleaning strategies. She recommends xylitol, a natural sugar that removes plaque from teeth, reduces harmful bacteria, and increases saliva flow for remineralization. It is also the first step in her own dental care regimen, using over-the-counter rinses to maintain teeth.