Scientists from King’s College London announced Monday they have grown human teeth in a lab for the first time.
In their latest study, the King’s team—working with Imperial College London—developed a material that mimics the environment needed for tooth development. The material allows cells to communicate and send signals that initiate the tooth formation process.
“As the field progresses, the integration of such innovative techniques holds the potential to revolutionize dental care,” said Dr. Ana Angelova Volponi, the study’s corresponding author from King’s College London.
“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.
Xuechen Zhang, from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s, explained that the material was developed “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,” Zhang said. “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.”
Next step for the team
The next challenge for scientists is translating this lab success into real-world dental treatments. This could involve either transplanting early-stage tooth cells directly into the mouth at the site of a missing tooth, or growing a full tooth in the lab and then implanting it.
“For both options, we need to start the very early tooth development process in the lab,” said Zhang.
The research is part of a broader international effort to regenerate natural teeth. For example, Japanese scientists recently tested a drug aimed at helping people with missing teeth grow new ones.
Globally, demand for dental implants is on the rise due to increased awareness of their benefits, a growing edentulous population, and interest in affordable alternatives. According to one market research report, the dental implants market was valued at US$4.43 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$5.89 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual rate of 4.86 per cent.
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