Question

A few months ago, I read an article about dental implants made from stem cells from teeth (adult cells). The stem cell is implanted and teeth grow after a certain period of time. This procedure should be ready for practical application in about three years. I asked some dentists. They know nothing about this development. Can you tell me something about the status of the research? F. M. in S. 

Short answer

Unfortunately, there are still major unresolved problems that prevent this procedure from being carried out successfully on humans today. Today's experiments are all carried out on animals. Even animal experiments have not yet succeeded in producing teeth. Experts estimate that it will take at least another 20 to 30 years before this technique can be used clinically.

There is a great desire to grow teeth from adult human stem cells with the help of embryonic human cells in the laboratory and/or in laboratory animals. These tooth germs would be implanted into the human jaw at a certain point in time, where they would then continue to grow in. This would make it possible to grow natural "third teeth" and eliminate the need for artificial dentures. 

Today, stem cells from adult humans can be used to create tooth-like structures with tooth-like anatomical structures under the skin of laboratory animals. 

Unresolved problems 

Unfortunately, there are still major, as yet unresolved problems that prevent this procedure from being carried out successfully in humans: 

Today's experiments are all carried out on animals (often mice). In humans, teeth grow about 70 times slower. This means that we humans would probably have to wait around 10 years for a tooth in the gap to fully grow. 

Even in animal experiments, it is not (yet) possible to create teeth that have a usable shape and fit approximately into the existing gap. Whether the shape of teeth can ever be specifically controlled is still completely unclear. 

If the method were available today, the manufacturing costs would be very high, significantly higher than the methods available today to close a tooth gap. 

Experts estimate that it will be at least another 20 to 30 years before this technology achieves any clinical benefit, if at all. 

False hopes 

A published scientific study usually concludes with a discussion of what the results obtained could be good for and what benefits would be associated with them. This outlook often has little to do with the current, actual possibilities. Nevertheless, the ideas and tempting possibilities are often published very early on, which can certainly raise false hopes. 

Author: Dr. med. dent. Jürg Eppenberger
Published in: Neue Luzerner Zeitung on December 20, 2005