Growing teeth: from the laboratory to the jaw
Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for
More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.Just let broken teeth grow back? What sounds a bit like science fiction could soon become a reality: a Berlin research group has succeeded in breeding fully functional biters from stem cells. The growing third parties could replace dentures, bridges and implants in the future.
Typically, people have two sets of teeth: 20 deciduous teeth that fall out in childhood and 28 to 32 permanent teeth. The cells from which the two sets of teeth develop are already present in the jaw before birth. If the permanent teeth fall out, only artificial dentures or an implant can currently help.However, researchers assume that the jaw has the ability to sprout new teeth for life.
Teeth grow from cell germs
When a tooth grows, so-called precursor cells collect in the jaw. They condense and form a tooth germ. “Within this tooth bud there is a differentiation between different cell types: the enamel organ, the dental papilla and the dental ridge. These tissues gradually differentiate into a complete tooth, ”describes Dr. Jennifer Rosowski, member of the research group.
The germ releases messenger substances and thus communicates with the surrounding jaw tissue - this is how it decides whether an incisor or molar is created.
Basis for new teeth: cells from the wisdom tooth
The idea of the Berlin researchers: They take cells from a wisdom tooth and cultivate them with a special method so that they develop back into a stem-cell-like state. These artificially obtained progenitor cells develop in a hydrogel nutrient medium, creating an artificial tooth germ. “We were able to prove that this tooth germ started the production of messenger substances,” says Roskowski.
Implanted seedlings grow in the jaw
The principle works in the laboratory. Chinese and Japanese working groups have already succeeded in implanting tooth seedlings in the jaws of mice. The seedlings actually developed into complete teeth in the studies and broke through the jaw. So far, there have been no trials on humans.
"The regrowing tooth is becoming a reality", says stem cell researcher Prof. Jürgen Hescheler about the current research results in an interview with the online magazine "Zahnärztliche Mitteilungen" zm. “In ten years, the regrowing tooth could go into production.” He estimates the cost of a treatment at 100 to 500 euros - but only if the treatment becomes routine.
Toothless due to periodontal disease and tooth decay
Almost every third person aged 45 to 59 has already lost a tooth. The most common causes of tooth loss are inflammation of the teeth holding apparatus (periodontitis) and tooth decay. The best way to prevent tooth loss is good oral hygiene. To do this, brush your teeth twice a day and use dental floss or an interdental brush to remove food residues and bacteria.
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