Tooth loss is an unfortunate health condition that people all over the world can suffer from. Whether from decay, gum disease, or fractures, you can experience tooth loss in a variety of ways. But what if there was a way to grow back those lost teeth?
Scientists believe that they might have found a way to regrow lost or damaged teeth through the use of stem cell technology and bioengineering. Several research groups are currently tackling the same question; all in an effort to find a way for humans to regrow lost or damaged teeth as noninvasively and as affordably as possible. We asked dentist Dr. Sood what he knew about this latest breakthrough and this is what he taught us.
Columbia University
Researchers at the New York City Columbia University Medical Center have been working to see if they could find a way for patients to regrow an anatomically correct tooth by using their own stem cells. The tooth might even be able to grow directly into a patient's empty tooth socket, so it will be able to merge with the surround gum tissue as if it had always been there. So far, they have proven that they can grow teeth, but not in a person's mouth...yet.
The Experiment
While the researchers have not grown teeth inside of people's mouths yet, they have been experimenting on growing teeth using rats. The experiment involved 22 rats. The researchers implanted growth factors into the rats' mouths and found that new bone material was able to regenerate and integrate in only 9 weeks. So far, this is the first time that teeth have been able to be regenerated inside of a living organism.
School of Biomedicine
While Columbia has been working with stem cells and rats, the School of Biomedicine has been researching how human dental tissue is formed prenatally. This way, the scientists are hoping to mimic the same process in regrowing not just teeth, but maybe even internal organs. They have been experimenting with the concept, but have not yet been successful in achieving it. They are not using the same bio-engineering approach as Columbia is using, but the fact that they are both working on the same problem is promising for the future.
The Benefits
There is no doubt that if this can be successfully done with humans that it will be revolutionary. At this time, the only means for tooth replacement are implants, bridges, and dentures, all of which are designed to mimic a real tooth, but none of which are real teeth. Each replacement method also comes with its own pros and cons. Dental implants are thus far the most effective, but they are also the most expensive and many patients cannot afford it. Researchers believe that the use of stem cell technology will be less expensive than implants. Additionally, there should be a shorter recovery period and a much lower risk for failure.
The Future
While we wait for this technology to become a reality, we will have to make do with the technology that exists. Implants are the closest thing that we have right now to genuine tooth replacement. They do have a low failure rate and are placed directly into your jaw to act like a genuine tooth. The healing time for an implant is long, however, and the cost excludes many people who might benefit from it. But until we can regrow our own teeth, implants will have to do.
Thankfully, several research groups are on the case, looking for a variety of ways to solve the issue of tooth loss. Tooth loss is an epidemic on a global level and if there is hope of giving people a reason to smile again, improve their health, and eat without difficulty, then researchers will hopefully stay on the case until a solution is found.
