A Japanese research team is on the cusp of a groundbreaking development in the realm of dentistry: a medication that may enable the growth of new teeth. Clinical trials for this revolutionary tooth regrowth medicine are scheduled to commence in July 2024, offering hope to individuals who lack a complete set of adult teeth due to congenital factors. The research team’s goal is to make this innovation available for general use by 2030.
In prior animal experiments, this medication has demonstrated the ability to stimulate the growth of what researchers are calling “third-generation” teeth. These new teeth emerge after baby teeth and permanent adult teeth, presenting an exciting prospect for individuals grappling with tooth loss.
Katsu Takahashi, the lead researcher and head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, expressed his lifelong commitment to this pioneering endeavour. “The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream. I’ve been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was confident I’d be able to make it happen,” Takahashi stated.
The medical condition known as anodontia, which results in the underdevelopment of teeth, affects approximately 1% of the population. Genetic factors are believed to be the primary cause of oligodontia, a variation of anodontia in which one-tenth of affected individuals lack six or more teeth. Such conditions, also referred to as tooth agenesis, profoundly impact individuals’ daily lives, affecting essential functions like chewing, swallowing, and speaking from a young age.
Katsu Takahashi’s journey toward this groundbreaking research began with his dentistry degree, followed by graduate studies in molecular biology at Kyoto University in 1991 and subsequent research in the United States. At that time, global research efforts were focused on identifying genes that, when manipulated, caused genetically modified mice to develop fewer teeth. Takahashi envisioned potentially altering the number of teeth in humans by targeting these genes.
The successful development of a tooth-regenerating medication could revolutionize the field of dentistry. While it has long been believed that humans only grow two sets of teeth during their lifetime, evidence suggests that “buds” for a third set exist. In fact, approximately 1% of the population exhibits a condition called hypodontia, characterized by an excess of teeth. Research by Takahashi’s team revealed that one in three cases of hyperdontia leads to the growth of a third set of teeth, indicating that the human ability to grow a third set may have been lost over time.
In animal trials, the medication-induced the growth of additional teeth, such as a seventh front tooth in ferrets. As these new teeth assumed the same shape as existing front teeth, the medicine is believed to have triggered the development of third-generation teeth in these animals.
This breakthrough could offer a new approach for individuals who have lost teeth due to severe cavities or dental socket erosion, conditions often necessitating dental appliances like dentures. The ability to grow third-generation teeth may soon become a viable alternative to traditional tooth replacement options. “In any case, we’re hoping to see a time when tooth-regrowth medicine is a third choice alongside dentures and implants,” Takahashi remarked, emphasizing the potential significance of this medical advancement.
