Can medicine grow teeth?

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Teeth regrowth medicine - 31st July 2023

Researchers in Japan have invented a medicine that can help people to grow new teeth. The medicine aims to improve the lives of children who have tooth problems from birth. It'll soon be tested on humans.

The research team's leader, Katsu Takahashi, started experimenting with USAG-1, which is a protein that stops teeth from growing. Takahashi believed that new teeth might grow if he blocked this protein. He said this idea was like a dream come true for dentists, and he was confident it could work.

Takahashi's main goal is to help children whose bodies fail to develop teeth naturally. These children often struggle with eating, swallowing and speaking, which affects their development. Providing them with new teeth could greatly improve their lives.

In earlier testing, mice and ferrets that haven't grown teeth were given a drug that blocks USAG-1. After this treatment, they grew new teeth where they were missing.

If human trials go well, Takahashi's dental treatment will first help 2 to 6 year old patients with these tooth problems. This medicine could be a third option for these children, along with dentures and implants.

Normally, humans grow two sets of teeth: a first set that falls out between ages 6 to 13 and a second permanent set. Takahashi believes humans used to have the ability to grow a third set of teeth. He says that the buds of these teeth still exist in our bodies.