Scientists at University College London have developed a toothpaste inspired by the architecture of bone that works in minutes rather than weeks to ease tooth sensitivity. Called OZEN, the product harnesses a material called AeroGraft—originally designed for bone grafting—to seal the microscopic channels inside teeth that cause pain when exposed.
For roughly half the UK population, tooth sensitivity is more than an inconvenience. The sharp, sudden pain when eating cold foods or sipping hot tea drives people to avoid entire categories of meals, subtly reshaping their quality of life. Most sensitive toothpastes on the market work around this problem by numbing the nerve or slowly blocking those tiny channels, called tubules, over days or weeks. OZEN takes a different approach: it rapidly seals exposed tubules while releasing calcium and phosphate ions to build a protective mineral layer directly on the tooth surface—work that happens fast enough to matter in daily life.
The innovation emerged from research at the UCL Centre for Nature-Inspired Engineering (CNIE), where Professor Marc-Olivier Coppens and Dr. Niall Kent, both of UCL Chemical Engineering, were exploring hierarchically structured materials that mirror the way nature rebuilds itself. "This work grew out of fundamental research into hierarchically structured catalysts as well as nature-inspired materials and how they support mineral regeneration in the body," Professor Coppens explained. "What has been particularly exciting is seeing the science translated from lab research into a consumer product that can unlock real world benefits for people."
The team's breakthrough came when they recognized that the same regenerative mechanism used to bond bones together could solve a dental problem. AeroGraft, a natural substance that helps graft bones, turned out to be equally effective at rapidly restoring damaged tooth surfaces with material indistinguishable from bone itself. The leap from bone regeneration to dental care reflects how nature-inspired engineering can reveal unexpected solutions hidden in existing biological systems.
UCL Business, the university's commercialization arm, protected the intellectual property and partnered with Matrix, the consumer health company behind OZEN, to bring the technology from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf. Dr. Anne Lane, CEO of UCL Business, noted that over three decades the organization has guided UCL research across disciplines—from gene therapies for rare cancers to AI algorithms—into real-world ventures. "We're proud to have played a pivotal role in helping the technology behind OZEN on its journey from the lab to the pharmacy shelf, potentially helping millions of people with sensitive teeth."
The product has already launched as both a toothpaste and oral gel, offering people with sensitive teeth a faster, more effective option grounded in the same elegant principles that nature uses to heal itself. In a market where half the population struggles with tooth pain, a remedy that works in minutes rather than weeks represents a tangible shift in how this common ailment is treated.