Amino acid makes teeth stronger
Scientists have discovered that a special amino acid makes teeth stronger.
Researchers from the University of Illinois (UoI) discovered that the acid called proline which is repeated in the centre of proteins present in tooth enamel makes teeth far more resilient.
After comparing proline repeats in both amphibian and mammals it was discovered that if the teeth don’t contain the acid, as with frogs, then they will not contain enamel prisms which make human teeth strong .
Professor Tom Diekwisch, head of oral biology at UoI, called proline repeats amazing and said that he hoped that the study’s findings could help cure neurodegenerative diseases.
Tooth enamel is covered in bubble-shaped groups of proteins and the dimensions of these bubbles varies between species.
The researchers also discovered that the bubbles would contract more if there were more proline repeats within the proteins.
Professor Diekwisch believes that this discovery provides more insight into how tooth enamel is engineered and said that he hopes that the findings will enable lost parts of a tooth to be fixed with a healthy layer of new enamel.
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