The development of a tooth in a lab is a major advancement in the field of regenerative dentistry.
In order to replicate the circumstances necessary for natural tooth formation, King’s College and Imperial College conducted a study in London using a specifically created substance.
By using their own cells to create replacement teeth that grow organically into the jaw, the study may someday provide patients with a biological substitute for artificial fillings and implants.
Why It Matters
For patients who lose adult teeth due to disease, decay, or trauma, the capacity to produce human teeth could greatly enhance results. Lab-grown teeth would be able to naturally mend and adapt, in contrast to existing treatments like crowns and implants, which might deteriorate over time or result in problems. According to researchers, the invention may lessen the need for invasive dental procedures.
What To Know
Adult tooth loss is usually treated with fillings, dentures, or implants, all of which have drawbacks. While implants require surgery and might not perfectly replicate the function of natural teeth, fillings can compromise the surrounding tooth tissue and frequently need to be replaced
Using bioengineered materials, the novel technique created at King’s College London replicates the initial phases of tooth creation.
“We have developed an environment by using new materials that will allow cells to efficiently communicate to each other and start forming teeth ‘in a dish’,” Dr. Ana Angelova Volponi, a co-author of the study and the director of the Postgraduate (MSc) in Regenerative Dentistry Program at King’s College London, told Newsweek.
