How peptides are enabling enamel remineralisation – vVARDIS explains the science behind CURODONT REPAIR.
For decades, dentistry has largely followed the same path when it comes to tooth decay. When enamel surface breaks down and a cavity forms, the response is restorative. Remove the damaged structure, place a filling, and restore the tooth.
But what if it were possible to intervene before a cavity forms?
What if, instead of drilling, we could help the tooth rebuild itself?
This is the principle behind biomimetic regenerative science. Rather than replacing lost tissue, biomimetic approaches aim to mimic natural biological processes and support regeneration of the tooth structure itself.
CURODONT REPAIR by vVARDIS brings this concept into everyday clinical practice, using a clinically-proven, biomimetic peptide technology to treat early carious lesions.
Why peptides are attracting attention in dentistry
Peptides are short chains of amino acids – the building blocks of proteins.
In a recent webinar on peptide science, Dr Victoria Sampson explained that peptides can be designed to mimic natural biological processes and guide tissue regeneration.
The self-assembling peptide technology in CURODONT REPAIR has been designed with specific properties that make its use in dentistry very relevant.
When exposed to certain conditions typical of the caries microenvironment, the peptide-based technology in CURODONT REPAIR spontaneously organises itself into a structured three-dimensional matrix, mimicking the natural enamel matrix. This matrix acts as a scaffold that supports mineral deposition and helps facilitate enamel regeneration.
In the case of early caries lesions, this property can be used to guide enamel regeneration.
What happens inside an early carious lesion
The peptide in CURODONT REPAIR, is applied to the tooth surface in liquid form.
In early carious lesions the subsurface of the enamel is demineralised and porous, allowing the peptide to diffuse into the lesion body. Once inside the acidic environment of the lesion, the peptide begins to self-assemble to form a biomimetic scaffold within the lesion. At this stage, the progression of the lesion can be arrested.
Over time the biomimetic scaffold attracts calcium and phosphate ions naturally present in saliva, eventually forming new hydroxyapatite crystals. The result is the restoration of the mineral density throughout the depth of the lesion, rather than remineralisation limited to the enamel surface.
Dr Sampson describes this mechanism as guided enamel regeneration, where the peptide matrix supports mineral deposition within the lesion itself.
Why surface remineralisation is only part of the story
Traditional dentistry has long relied on a ‘drill and fill’ approach once caries progress beyond the earliest stages, as preventive strategies alone are often insufficient to fully restore enamel structure. While early lesions may be monitored with recommendations for improved oral hygiene, dietary changes, and fluoride-based treatments, these approaches primarily act at the surface level and do not address subsurface mineral loss.
Peptide-based technology works differently. By diffusing into the lesion and forming a biomimetic scaffold, CURODONT REPAIR not only arrests early caries but enables hydroxyapatite regeneration throughout the depth of the lesion. This supports true structural regeneration of enamel while preserving natural tooth structure, offering an alternative to the restorative cycle.
From monitoring lesions to guiding regeneration
While the science of peptides is attracting growing attention across medicine and healthcare, most peptide-based therapies remain in the research stage.
CURODONT REPAIR is the first commercially available, proprietary, peptide-based solution in dentistry for regenerative treatment of early-stage caries.
The technology has been developed through more than two decades of research and is supported by more than 250 scientific publications, including peer-reviewed systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical studies, including a long-term peer-reviewed real-world evidence study, demonstrating a success rate above 90%. Globally, the technology has been used in the treatment of more than 2.5 million teeth.
The procedure is micro-invasive and requires no drilling or local anaesthetic. It can be delivered by dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists.
A new generation of regenerative dentistry
Dentistry is increasingly focused on earlier interventions which preserves the natural tooth structure. Biomimetic peptide technology offers clinicians a way to act earlier in the caries process.
By providing a biomimetic solution to arrest and regenerate early-stage caries, CURODONT REPAIR enables clinicians to intervene before restorative treatment becomes necessary.
Clinicians interested in becoming a Curodontist or learning more about CURODONT REPAIR can book a consultation here.
This article is sponsored by vVARDIS.
