Scientists have successfully grown a human tooth in laboratory conditions, marking an important milestone in the research.

Researchers from King’s College London have said the breakthrough could lead the way to adults growing their own replacement teeth instead of having fillings in the future.

Unlike implants and fillings, which are fixed and cannot adapt over time, a lab-grown tooth made from a patient’s own cells could integrate seamlessly into the jaw and repair itself like a natural tooth.

Xuechen Zhang, from the faculty of dentistry, oral and craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London, said, “Fillings aren’t the best solution for repairing teeth. Over time, they will weaken tooth structure, have a limited lifespan, and can lead to further decay or sensitivity. Implants require invasive surgery and 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.

“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.”

In the study, the research team introduced a special type of material that enables cells to communicate. This meant that one cell could effectively ‘tell’ another to start differentiating into a tooth cell. This mimics the environment of growing teeth, allowing scientists to recreate the process of tooth development in a laboratory.

Xuechen said, “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.

“Previous attempts had failed, as all the signals were sent in one go. This new material releases signals slowly over time, replicating what happens in the body.”

Having successfully created the environment necessary to cultivate teeth, the research team is now confronted with the challenge of moving from the laboratory to patients’ mouths.

Xuechen added, “We have different ideas to put the teeth inside the mouth. We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside 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.”

The paper is part of wider regenerative medicine research from King’s College, which focuses on using natural replacements, such as stem cells and bioengineered environments, instead of artificial materials.

Ana Angelova Volponi, the corresponding author of the paper, said, “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.

“The work being conducted at the faculty of dentistry, oral and craniofacial sciences at King’s College London exemplifies the cutting-edge research driving this transformation, highlighting our faculty's commitment to advancing oral health through scientific discovery.”

To read the full study visit Generating Tooth Organoids Using Defined Bioorthogonally Cross-Linked Hydrogels - PubMed

Image credit: King’s College London

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