Dental fillings are far from being a pleasant experience, but right now they're necessary to fill cavities and prevent further damage. A research team at the University of Nottingham in the UK could change that, with a new gel being developed that could help prevent tooth decay and regenerate damaged tooth enamel.

The gel works by containing a modified version of amelogenin, a protein that helps guide the growth of enamel in infants, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications this month. The gel fills holes and cracks in the teeth when applied.

"The gel was able to grow crystals epitaxially, which means it's in the same crystallographic orientation as existing enamel," Alvaro Mata, a professor in Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials at the Universi

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