Can Stem Cells Regrow Teeth?
Posted on Tue, Jan 10, 2012 @ 06:49 PM
One of the more involved procedures that dentists perform is the replacing
of missing or irrepairable teeth with implants. The results can certainly be great, but what if it were possible to simply grow replacement teeth as part of a less invasive and more reliable process?
While implants are a common solution to missing teeth, the installation process can be lengthy. Scientists at Columbia University Medical Center are developing a process using stem cells to regrow teeth in the exact socket that the missing one occupied.
Having an organic tooth grow and integrate within surrounding tissue may be a far more optimized solution that evolves with the natural changes that occur over the course of a person's life.
Reduced Recovery Time and Longer Life
Evidently, in the animal model study regenerated teeth can be fully grown and integrated in their sockets within 9 weeks of implantation. Additionally, this tooth replacement method could result in a permanent solution, provided that the patient takes better care of it than they did the original. While work and research continues, we can see a brighter future for our dental patients.
While having stem cells regrow teeth may be on track to revolutionize implant dentistry, plenty of work still needs to be done to develop reliable processes and cost-effective approaches to its implementation.
This provides hope for more fantastic development in the dental and medical field for better health and lifestyles in the future.
Photo - Keith williamson