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In a world first, Japanese dentists have figured out a way to regrow teeth in animals – and the first human trial is just a few months away.
Most people have two sets of teeth, with baby teeth appearing at about six months old, and gradually being replaced by adult teeth from around the age of six.
However, in the UK, three to five per cent of the population are born with missing teeth, and according to Bupa, almost 75% of British adults don’t have a full set of teeth. Six per cent have none of their original teeth.
Now, Dr Katsu Takahashi, head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital, and his team are hoping to one day fix the world’s smile by enabling them to regrow those missing teeth.
They have developed a drug that enabled mice and ferrets to regrow teeth, and from September, will start testing it in humans. The study involves 30 males aged 30-64 who are missing at least one back tooth.
The drug works by deactivating a protein called USAG-1, which stops the growth of teeth. This trigger new teeth to grow where there were none, and also strengthened bone in existing teeth.
The animal trials also tested the drug in beagles, but the results have not yet been published. There were no side-effects reported in the trials involving ferrets and mice, which share similar USAG-1 properties to humans.
The human clinical trials come after a successful animal trial where the Japanese team successfully saw teeth regrow in ferrets and mice with no side effects.
Dr Takahashi, who has been working on a drug to regrow teeth since his graduate student days in the early Nineties, told Japanese newspaper Mainichi: ‘We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence.
‘While there has been no treatment to date providing a permanent cure, we feel that people’s expectations for tooth growth are high.’
If the trial is successful, the researchers want to administer the drug to patients between the ages of two to seven with congenital tooth deficiency, who have at least four teeth missing from birth.
The researchers then want to expand to look at those who are missing one to five permanent teeth due to environmental factors.
The UK is in the midst of a dental health crisis, with people struggling to find NHS dentists and book appointments.
Dr Takahashi believes that in the future, it may be possible to help those who have lost their teeth to cavities or injuries. If trials are successful, the treatment could be available to patients with any permanently missing teeth by 2030.
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