The problem with popular teeth-whitening agents, like peroxide-based gels, is that they risk damaging tooth enamel while they bleach. Now, Chinese scientists say they've developed a better option: one that instead repairs tooth enamel while it whitens. The prototype whitening powder activates when exposed to the vibrations of an electric toothbrush, per the Independent. Unlike common peroxide-based whitening products, which generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can erode enamel while lifting stains, this powder is designed to limit ROS production to brushing time and to strengthen teeth in the process.
The material, called BSCT, is made from charged particles of strontium and calcium combined with barium titanate, then heated into a ceramic powder. When the powder is put under stress through vibration, it produces a tiny electric field—similar to how quartz crystals power watches—which in turn triggers ROS-generating reactions that break down stain molecules. In lab tests on human teeth stained with tea and coffee, four hours of brushing with BSCT and an electric toothbrush produced visible whitening; after 12 hours, the treated teeth were nearly 50% brighter than those brushed with saline alone.
Researchers say the ions in the powder also helped rebuild damaged enamel and dentin by forming mineral deposits on tooth surfaces, per New Atlas. In a separate experiment, rats on a high-sugar diet brushed for one minute daily over four weeks showed a healthier oral microbiome, with reductions in harmful bacteria linked to gum disease. The team, whose study appears in the journal ACS Nano, describes the approach as a potential at-home option that combines whitening, enamel repair, cavity prevention, and support for beneficial mouth bacteria, though further testing will be needed before any consumer product hits the market.
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