Science & Technology

World's first ever tooth regrowth medication to be trialled in Japan

By T.K. Randall
May 7, 2024 ·  3 comments

Could we soon regrow our missing teeth ? Image Credit: Pixabay / geralt Nobody likes going to the dentist, but imagine if we lived in a world in which dentures and tooth implants were a thing of the past and where it was possible to simply regrow an entire adult tooth whenever you happened to need one.

This might sound like science fiction, but scientists in Japan are currently preparing to begin clinical trials of a potentially revolutionary treatment that could enable a patient to do exactly that.

The trials, which will begin at Kyoto University Hospital in September, will see the medication administered intravenously to 30 healthy adult volunteers to confirm its effectiveness.

If all goes to plan, it will then be given to young patients suffering from congenital tooth deficiency to see if it results in spontaneous tooth regrowth.The medication itself works by deactivating the USAG-1 protein which inhibits tooth growth.

"We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence," said lead researcher Katsu Takahashi. "While there has been no treatment to date providing a permanent cure, we feel that people's expectations for tooth growth are high."

Eventually, it should be possible to regrow teeth, not only in patients with health conditions, but in healthy adults who have lost a tooth due to accident or decay.

Visiting the dentist, it seems, may never be quite the same again.

Source: mainichi.jp | Comments (3)

Tags: Teeth