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Scientists Likely Found Way to Grow New Teeth for Patients

245 points| elorant | 6 years ago |sciencetimes.com

98 comments

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[+] dsukhin|6 years ago|reply
This was a very exciting title but a very dodgy article. It references two independent areas of active research but concludes one doesn't work in practice yet and the other (which is buried in this report [0] from Columbia from 2013) works only in rats with stem cells and growth factors. So surely, either the title is misleading about this being viable for humans yet, or there is more progress on the subject beyond what is here and there is a better and more recent source available. Either way, an exciting topic I've also been wondering about for a long time.

[0] https://techventures.columbia.edu/news-and-events/latest-new...

[+] naikrovek|6 years ago|reply
Pfft that's nothing.

When I had testicular cancer, they found an entire molar in that tumor.

Apparently I had a type of cancer that just spontaneously grows parts of you inside it. I am ashamed to say that I forgot the name of this type of cancer.

[+] AdmiralAsshat|6 years ago|reply
Wow. I had heard of teratomic tumors growing hair or teeth in women around the ovaries, but never in men.
[+] tekproxy|6 years ago|reply
That's amazing. Put it under your pillow and let us know what the tooth fairy thinks of that little gem.
[+] westurner|6 years ago|reply
"Scientists Have Discovered a Drug That Fixes Cavities and Regrows Teeth" https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-have-discovered-thi...

Tideglusib https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tideglusib

[+] minxomat|6 years ago|reply
> Tooth repair mechanisms that promotes dentine reinforcement of a sponge structure until the sponge biodegrades, leaving a solid dentine structure. In 2016, the results of animal studies were reported in which 0.14 mm holes in mouse teeth were permanently filled.

Very interesting mechanism.

[+] 1996|6 years ago|reply
GSK3 inhibitors are interesting, but we don't understand much the subtypes that are likely to exist: "GSK-3 appears to both promote and inhibit apoptosis, and this regulation varies depending on the specific molecular and cellular context."

Still, I believe better GSK3i will find a role in autologous bone-marrow grafting therapies to fight senescence: with TERC/TERT overexpression (the opposite of DeGrey WILT ideas) to send new stem cells to the tissues - just like how you can find the donors chromosomes in most tissues of grafted patient.

[+] PedroBatista|6 years ago|reply
Every couple years an article like this comes out, yet nothing of substance actually happens.

Maybe when the hens grow teeth, as the french say we'll be able to do that in humans too.

[+] zxcvbn4038|6 years ago|reply
Once I was watching the news, probably back in the 70s - the reporter was Peter Jennings, and he saying that the Soviets had created an aquatic chicken with gills instead of lungs. Never any follow up, never any mention of it again. I’ve always wondered if the people at ABC News were just incredibly gullible, or if the government swooped in to suppress the story.
[+] Covzire|6 years ago|reply
These kinds of stories, mostly about new teeth coatings to end cavities, are nearly as common as new battery technology vaporware.
[+] technothrasher|6 years ago|reply
Every couple years an article like this comes out, yet nothing of substance actually happens.

Maybe if they combine this latest greatest teeth growing technology with the latest greatest new battery technology, they'd be able to get it to market.

[+] arkades|6 years ago|reply
I already know of at least one company that 3D bioprints custom replacement teeth for patients rather than use implants.

It’s already got its patents granted and is transitioning from prototypes to production units, IIRC.

[+] kbutler|6 years ago|reply
https://www.dentistryiq.com/products/article/16365674/natura...

So the bioprinting is an alternative means to construct a replicate tooth (as opposed to CNC milling).

Replicate teeth can be used as a less invasive/quicker healing alternative to implants under some conditions:

https://www.replicatetooth.com/for-patients/

"The REPLICATE System can only be used if the root of the original tooth is still in place. Also your dentist will need to evaluate if the surrounding bone structure is healthy enough to accept a REPLICATE Tooth."

[+] wmeredith|6 years ago|reply
Do you have a link? I’m pretty interested in this field, and as far as I know all the 3D printing tooth companies are just using the same old materials. Most labs can already CNC you a tooth the same day. All of the “bio-printing” stuff I’ve seen thus far is marketing BS.
[+] malandrew|6 years ago|reply
Name of company? I’m currently straightening my teeth in preparation to get implants in late 2020.
[+] vxNsr|6 years ago|reply
Was just joking with my dentist about this. As a kid and teenager I was very bad about brushing and only flossed if I had something painful stuck in my teeth, I’ve paid for it with tons of cavities. She said I need to be careful about how hard I floss now because I could damage the fillings and then will need implants for some of them. I jokingly replied that hopefully by the time the need arose science would be able to regrow a full set of teeth for me.
[+] kachurovskiy|6 years ago|reply
Brushing teeth is a must but flossing wasn't proven to have measurable effect on teeth health last time I checked.
[+] specialist|6 years ago|reply
My dentist hates google, internet, science reporting, etc. Patients are always asking about miracle cures.

So for years now I poke the bear by excitedly asking about some new treatment I had "just read about" (meaning I just made it up). Stem cells, nanobots, lasers, supplements, etc.

It's fun to see him get spun up. He's so serious, earnest. Slow to catch on that I'm poking him.

Before he pokes me.

[+] mrfusion|6 years ago|reply
I’ve been seeing articles about this since the 90s. I don’t think it will ever happen. Even if we had the technology, dealing with stem cells would be super expensive compared to doing a bridge or implant.

And for whatever reason, dentistry is an extremely conservative field.

[+] zxcvbn4038|6 years ago|reply
I’ve been dreaming about this for forty years - ever since I read about some guy that got irradiated by a UFO and a couple months later his teeth started falling out and they found a brand new set growing in beneath them. Wouldn’t it be nice?

I think they have made some advances towards this in the UK also though it’s targeted at accident victims needing major facial reconstruction.

It would also be interesting to see how long elephants might live if we could regrow their teeth - disease and predators aside that seems to be the limiting factor to their life span at the moment.

[+] JoeAltmaier|6 years ago|reply
Tooth loss is often because of gum loss. Until we can regrow gum, any new teeth will just fall out again?
[+] nsxwolf|6 years ago|reply
There are multiple gum grafting techniques that can be used if the area is not too far gone. This is already an issue with dental implants and those are a proven effective option.
[+] kbutler|6 years ago|reply
Tooth loss also occurs because of injury, decay, and other disease.
[+] sandworm101|6 years ago|reply
Why grow new biological teeth? We have the material to create and implant fake teeth that are better in every way. The real question should be when will it become more practical to simply replace a tooth rather than fill/cap/drill to save the biological tooth.
[+] windexh8er|6 years ago|reply
This is simply not true. Composites of today are still more brittle and fragile than human teeth. Also when implants are placed you're removing bone in order to place them. This can, and often does, weaken the placement region. Finally you're at higher risk of sinus perforation during extractions among other, generally permanent, complications. My SO is a DSS who does all of this and if you can keep your real teeth, they're almost always superior. Dr. Seuss had it right.
[+] KillerDiller|6 years ago|reply
Problem with implants is that they cause compressive stress to the bone, which causes bone to deteriorate. Teeth are held by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpey%27s_fibres. This converts the forces acting on the tooth to tensile stress on the bone, which causes it to grow more dense.
[+] whiddershins|6 years ago|reply
I have trouble believing that. New teeth would have nerves, for one.
[+] gwbas1c|6 years ago|reply
Do you have implants?

I have a lot! They are more durable than biological teeth, the main drawback is that I need to be a bit more careful flossing.

Honestly, I'm not sure what's better, in the long run: An implant or regrowing a tooth. I guess it will really just come down to what's cheaper.