Toothpastes

• Teeth
• Stomatology
• Toothpaste abrasiveness (RDA)

Chronicle

2025

Creating toothpaste from protein found in hair. She successfully restores enamel

Scientists at King's College London have created an innovative toothpaste based on keratin, a protein found in hair, skin and wool that is able to repair tooth enamel and provide structural protection for teeth against destruction. The developed technology overcomes the key problem of dentistry associated with the impossibility of natural restoration of enamel and creates a dense mineral layer that simulates the structure and functions of natural dental tissue. This was reported by the researchers in a publication in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials on August 12, 2025.

Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue of the human body, but unlike bones or hair, it does not have the ability to self-repair. Loss of enamel leads to hypersensitivity of the teeth, pain sensations and eventually to the destruction of dental tissue.

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Фото: Freepik

The senior author of the study, dentist Sherifa Elsharkavi noted that after loss, enamel disappears forever without the possibility of natural regeneration. This poses serious problems for patients and requires expensive dental treatment.

The team of scientists found that keratin, when interacting with minerals in saliva, forms a protective coating that reproduces the structure and functional characteristics of natural enamel. Laboratory tests have shown that keratin-based treatment not only stops the process of tooth decay, but also seals open nerve channels.

Unlike traditional fluorine toothpastes, which only slow down the loss of enamel, keratin technology creates a dense mineral layer. This approach provides structural protection for the teeth and reduces pain symptoms, which can reduce the need to seal or install crowns in the early stages of damage.^[1]

The first production of powdered silica gel used in toothpaste and cosmetics was launched in Russia

Tomsk State University (TSU) and the Engineering Chemical and Technological Center (IHTZ) launched the first production of powdered silica gel in Russia for the cosmetic industry. This became known in early March 2025. An experimental batch of domestic silica gel, which is not inferior in quality to foreign counterparts, has already been sent to Russian enterprises. Read more here.

2023: A new standard for toothbrushes has begun to operate in Russia

In mid-June 2023, it became known that GOST 6388-2022 of toothbrushes was changed in Russia, which contains requirements for the quality of children's and adult toothbrushes. The previous GOST 6388-91 developed by the USSR Light Industry Committee was adopted in 1992.

According to the new standard GOST 6388-2022, brushes are divided by purpose:

• For brushing teeth;
• For cleaning of interdental spaces;
• For cleaning removable prostheses and orthodonical devices.

The new rules also provide for age division: for users under 14 years old - children, as well as adults for those over 14 years old. The gradation also follows the degree of rigidity: soft (M), medium rigidity (C) and hard (F). According to the manufactured material: from natural or synthetic fibers. At the place of use: in home or road conditions.

A new standard of toothbrushes began to operate in the Russian Federation

The new requirements also provide that the synthetic fibers of the brush must be without burrs, and the bristles must be straight and securely fixed. Toothbrushes for adults should have 27-55 bristles 9-15 mm high, and children's toothbrushes 17-37 bristles 8-13 mm high and no more.

The main difference between GOST 6388-2022 and GOST 6388-91 - brush types will become less in age. GOST 6388-91 identified two types of brushes for children - school and preschool age, as well as for each of these categories of brushes, their own requirements were established. Otherwise, the requirements of the old and new standards are largely similar.

According to VTsIOM for June 2023, 82% of Russians use a toothbrush, and 64% brush their teeth several times a day. Only 35% of participants rated the condition of their teeth as "good," and 62% of Russians had complaints regarding the unsatisfactory state of the oral cavity. One in three of those surveyed have experienced gum disease, and one in five have more than 8 filled teeth and more than 5 removed teeth at a fairly young age from 35 to 44 years old. The carious process is found in 82% of children aged 16.^[2]

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