Brushing your teeth with toothpaste made from human hair may not sound appetizing, but it could be the future of dental care. Not full strands of hair, of course.
According to New Atlas, a study at King's College London, published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, found that keratin-based toothpaste offers several benefits that traditional toothpastes don't. Keratin is a protective protein found in hair, skin, and wool.
Most toothpaste nowadays contains fluoride, but it has its limits in protecting your teeth. Fluoride only slows the erosion of tooth enamel, which eventually leads to pain, cavities, and tooth loss, and once that enamel is gone, there's no way to get it back — not yet anyway.
The researchers at King's College extracted keratin from wool and found that when it came in contact with saliva, the keratin-based paste formed a crystal-like scaffold. That scaffold then attracted and bound with calcium and phosphate ions, and began acting as enamel, protecting and repairing the tooth and completely stopping tooth decay.
Besides being better for teeth, repurposing hair in this way will also be good for the planet. Untold amounts of hair end up in landfills worldwide, and although it may not be considered hazardous, the breakdown of human hair contributes to the release of planet-heating gases, leading to life-threatening extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. But the benefits extend even further.
"Not only is it sustainably sourced from biological waste materials like hair and skin, it also eliminates the need for traditional plastic resins, commonly used in restorative dentistry, which are toxic and less durable," said Sara Gamea, first author of the study.
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Keratin-infused toothpaste could be on store shelves, or it could come in the form of a gel that's applied at the dentist's office. The researchers hope dental products containing keratin will be available to the public in two or three years.
"With further development and the right industry partnerships," senior study author Sherif Elsharkawy said, "We may soon be growing stronger, healthier smiles from something as simple as a haircut."
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