By Dr. Joseph D. Lim
It could be the best thing to happen since fillings, root canals and implants have become common.
And that’s growing real teeth in the laboratory.
A new, special material has been developed in the United Kingdom that lets scientists take cells from a patient, enabling these cells to interact with each other as they would do in natural circumstances, and ultimately grow into tooth cells.
In a study published in the journal ACS Macro Letters, researchers at King’s College London say they have replicated how teeth grow within the body.
“Teeth begin growing from stem cells during early embryonic development, with stem cells from different types of embryonic tissue ‘talking’ to each other using signaling molecules to trigger tooth formation,” writes Jess Thomson in the LiveScience newsletter. “The stem cells differentiate into various forms of cells, which then secrete the materials that the tooth is eventually made from, such as enamel, dentin and cementum.”
The breakthrough came when the researchers developed a hydrogel material that can absorb a lot of water that mimics the matrix, the material around cells. This allows the stem cells to communicate — as they normally do in the natural world.
“This meant that when we introduced the cultured cells, they were able to send signals to each other to start the tooth formation process,” says Xuechen Zhang, the study’s co-author. “Previous attempts had failed, as all the signals were sent in one go. This new material releases signals slowly over time, replicating what happens in the body.”
As research moves on, the integration of such innovative techniques holds the potential to revolutionize dental care, offering sustainable and effective solutions for tooth repair and regeneration, says Ana Angelova Volponi, the study’s co-author.
The real, albeit lab-grown tooth lasts longer, is stronger and will be “accepted” not rejected by the body which happens in up to one in 10 of tooth implants, the researchers say. “Lab-grown teeth would naturally regenerate, integrating into the jaw as real teeth,” Zhang says.
Unlike sharks and other animals that replace lost teeth, humans are limited to two sets of teeth that naturally grows from about 20 baby teeth when a baby reaches six months old. The baby teeth are eventually replaced by 32 adult teeth at the age of six years old.
When humans lose teeth due to damage, cavities and other oral health issues, dentists resort to several options. On of them is filling the cavities. Another is replacing lost tooth with artificial teeth as in dentures or implants.
“Fillings aren’t the best solution for repairing teeth,” says Zhang. “Over time, they will weaken tooth structure, have a limited lifespan, and can lead to further decay or sensitivity.”
Implants are not so ideal either because the procedure takes time and may be costly; infection may be an issue to teeth and gums.
As it is, the King’s College researchers are far from replacing real teeth with those grown in the laboratory. “We have different ideas to put the teeth inside the mouth,” says Zhang.
“We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside [the] mouth. Alternatively, we could create the whole tooth in the lab before placing it in the patient’s mouth. For both options, we need to start the very early tooth development process in the lab.”
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De La Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, email limdentalcenter@gmail.com./WDJ