London: British scientists say they have developed a material which could help regenerate tooth enamel - and prevent tooth decay or sensitivity in the future.

Coating the outer part of the teeth, enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and can resist extreme temperatures and acidic food and drinks, helping it last for decades.

But unlike other tissues in the body, once it is lost it cannot regrow - leading to pain and tooth loss for around 50 per cent of the world's population.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London now say they have developed a new way to grow mineralised material, which could pave the way for regenerating hard tissues such as enamel and bone.

Dentist Sherif Elsharkawy, first author of the study, said: "This is exciting because the simplicity and versatility of the mineralisation platform opens up opportunities to treat and regenerate dental tissues. For example, we could develop acid-resistant bandages that can infiltrate, mineralise, and shield exposed dentinal tubules in human teeth for the treatment of hypersensitivity."

The team found a protein that is able to trigger the growth of crystals, in a similar way to how crystals grow when dental enamel develops in the body.