Scientists Grow Human Teeth In Lab For The First Time

Say Goodbye To Implants And Fillings? Scientists Grow Human Teeth In Lab For The First Time

In a major breakthrough in dental care, scientists at King's College London have successfully grown human teeth in a laboratory for the very first time. This revolutionary development could offer a potential alternative to the traditional methods of tooth replacement like fillings and dental implants, which can be invasive and often fail to completely restore the natural form and function of teeth.

The research team at King's College, in collaboration with Imperial College London, has created a material that mimics the exact conditions necessary for tooth development. This allows one cell to communicate with another, triggering the transformation into a tooth cell under laboratory conditions.

While many species can regenerate their teeth, humans typically only get one opportunity for tooth growth. This innovation could change that. The current options for replacing lost teeth, such as dentures or implants, don’t fully restore the natural feel and function of real teeth. But this new approach uses cells, biomaterials, and growth factors to create tooth structures that closely resemble natural teeth.

Dr. Ana Angelova-Volponi, a key figure in the research, said, "This idea of replacing the tooth in a biological way by regrowing it, drew me to London and to King's. By growing a tooth in a dish, we are really filling in the gaps of knowledge."

Xuechen Zhang, a PhD student at the Faculty of Dentistry, explained that the lab-grown teeth would naturally integrate with the jaw, providing a long-lasting and more biologically compatible solution than existing treatments. He further added, "The new teeth will be stronger, more durable, and have no rejection risk."

Despite these promising results, the next challenge for researchers is figuring out how to safely transplant these lab-grown teeth into a patient's mouth. Zhang shared, "We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside the mouth." While this idea is still in its early stages, it marks a significant step forward in regenerative dentistry.

Although it may take years before this technology becomes a routine part of dental care, this breakthrough could be the start of a new era in how we approach tooth regeneration.