Bioengineered Smiles: The Age of Lab-Grown Teeth

A breakthrough in the field of dentistry and regenerative medicine has been achieved with the successful development of teeth in the lab. In research published by the American Chemical Society in December 2024, scientists at King’s College London have succeeded in developing lab-grown teeth. As studies progress, this innovation could soon redefine dental care by replacing artificial prosthetics with living, patient-specific replacements. (PMID: 39532305)

What Makes Human Dentition Unique

Unlike some animals, such as sharks and elephants, which can grow teeth continuously throughout their lives, humans develop only two sets of teeth: the milk teeth and the adult teeth. When adults lose their teeth, no new set grows to replace them.

There are so many dental problems like cavities, gum problems etc which can eventually cause loss of teeth. Not replacing lost teeth can cause further issues like difficulty in chewing, misaligned teeth, and even affect the nutritional status and general health of an individual.

Traditional Treatment Methods and Their Limitations

Dentists currently use implants, fillings, and artificial crowns to replace damaged teeth. While effective, these solutions come with their own complications. Xuechen Zhang, a researcher at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London, points out that fillings can weaken the tooth structure, increase sensitivity, and lead to further decay.

Moreover, patients face difficulties adapting to artificial replacements. Implant procedures involve lengthy, invasive surgeries, and their success depends on multiple factors, such as the amount of healthy bone in the patient’s jaw.

The problem is more concerning for the elderly. They may suffer from more than one disease, and may have low immunity, which makes implants questionable for them.

The Lab-Grown Teeth

Scientists at King’s College London have impressed the research and dental communities with the first-ever lab-grown human teeth. Lab-grown teeth promise to overcome the drawbacks of conventional treatments while improving patient comfort and long-term success.. 

Xuechen further explains: “Lab-grown teeth would naturally regenerate, integrating into the jaw as real teeth. They would be stronger, longer-lasting, and free from rejection risks, offering a more durable and biologically compatible solution than fillings or implants.”

The Process of Growing Teeth in the Laboratory

The concept of lab-grown teeth has long intrigued scientists. Earlier attempts were unsuccessful because all the biological signals needed to form teeth were released at a single time, unlike in natural development, where signals are released in a very specific step-by-step fashion.

Considering such precision required, it is not easy to simulate the natural environment of growing teeth. However, this has recently been achieved by researchers at King’s College London in collaboration with Imperial College. They developed a material that is similar to cells in the body, and can replicate the process of sending signals similar to the body

“We developed this material in collaboration with Imperial College to replicate the environment around the cells in the body, known as the matrix. This meant that when we introduced the cultured cells, they were able to send signals to each other to start the tooth formation process,” Xuechen said. ” Previous attempts had failed because all the signals were sent in one go. This new material releases signals slowly over time, replicating what happens in the body.”

From Lab to Clinic

Now that the teeth have been successfully grown, another challenge faced by the researchers is how to get them from the lab to patients’ mouths.

They plan to achieve it in two ways, firstly, by developing the teeth in the lab and then transferring them to the patient, and secondly one is transplanting the developing tooth to the patient’s mouth, and then letting them fully develop. Both scenarios demand that the very early stages of tooth development be processed in the lab.

Future Directions

While it would take time for this research to translate to the clinics, researchers remain optimistic. Dr. Ana Angelova Volponi of King’s College London stated, “As the field progresses, the integration of such innovative techniques holds the potential to revolutionise dental care, offering sustainable and effective solutions for tooth repair and regeneration.”

References:

1. King’s College London. (2024, December). Lab-grown teeth might become an alternative to fillings following research breakthrough. Retrieved from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/lab-grown-teeth-might-become-an-alternative-to-fillings-following-research-breakthrough (Primary source of quotes from Xuechen Zhang and Dr. Ana Angelova Volponi.)
2. Zhang, X., et al. (2024). Development of lab-grown human teeth using bioengineered matrix scaffolds. Journal of the American Chemical Society. PMID: 39532305 (Original peer-reviewed article presenting the scientific breakthrough.)

By Dr. Priyanka H. Bhanushali