To Avoid Root Canals, Teeth That Replace Themselves

In a study published in November, they were able to demonstrate pulp regeneration in human teeth in a lab. They will soon be testing hydrogel on live dogs. In addition, they are looking at the potential of the hydrogel to calm dental inflammation.

The hope with pulp regeneration is to improve the health of the tooth while minimizing the pain often associated with current treatments like the root canal—although under some circumstances a date with a drill will still be necessary, experts say.

Another approach is to extract pulp from teeth and separate out the stem cells, then transplant the stem cells with molecules that encourage their growth back into the tooth cavity. Research published last month by Japanese researchers on dog teeth showed this method appeared to be effective in stimulating the tissue around the transplanted cells to produce pulp tissue. The study was published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Researchers are also focused on understanding how dental stem cells usually get the message from the tooth about when to regenerate pulp.

Dentin, a hard tissue that protects the pulp, is one critical element. When bacteria break it down, it releases molecules that stimulate the regeneration of tooth cells. The University of Birmingham’s Dr. Smith and his team have identified a number of chemicals that transmit these signals and are working on figuring out a way to release these messengers therapeutically as another way to repair teeth.

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