Panda teeth are self-regenerating, Chinese and US scientists find – and it could benefit human dentures
- The animals’ tooth enamel is able to recover its structure after damage, research reveals
- Potential uses for human dentures and ceramics are being explored
Chinese and American scientists have discovered that pandas have self-regenerating teeth and are studying its potential uses for human dentures and ceramics.
Giant panda tooth enamel can recover its structure at a microscopic and nanoscopic level to counter wear and tear, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Metal Research has said.
This regeneration helps the animals to munch up to 38kg of tough bamboo stems every day. The fibrous plant makes up 99 per cent of a panda’s typical diet.
However, the study found that the enamel was not resistant to large-scale cracks.
The discovery was made by a research team led by Liu Zengqian, a scientist at the institute’s fracture mechanics laboratory.
The team also included members from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Science and Technology of China and the Lanzhou University of Technology.