For thousands of years, humans have been using unusual material to replace lost teeth. Ancient Egyptians used seashell pieces, ivory and animal bone. Many years later, lost teeth were often replaced by those of human donors.

Today dental implants embedded in titanium are the widely preferred method of tooth replacement, but it might not be long before scientists are growing new teeth for you from your own cells.

Researchers at King’s College London have created an innovative method to accomplish just this.

“Fillings aren’t the best solution for repairing teeth,” says Xuechen Zhang of King’s College Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. “Over time, they will weaken tooth structure, have a limited lifespan, and can lead to further decay or sensitivity. Implants require invasive surgery and a good combination of implants and alveolar bone. Both solutions are artificial and don’t fully restore natural tooth function, potentially leading to long-term complications.”

IMAGE: Tooth implant  CREDIT: Shutterstock

The King’s College team, partnered with Imperial College, was successful in re-creating the extracellular matrix — the environment around the cells in the body. The matrix is a complicated network of molecules that fills the spaces between cells. One of its functions is cell signaling.

Upon introducing a specialized material, the team determined that the cells were able to send signals to each other to begin the process of forming a new tooth — in the lab.
The next phase is to figure out a way to put these teeth into action.

The team has a few ideas on how to accomplish this.

“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,” Xuechen says.

According to Grand View Research, the global dental implants market was worth an estimated U.S.$6.7 billion in 2024 and expects a compound annual growth rate of 8 percent over the next five years.

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