The Indian institution of dentures sitting in a glass of water beside the bed could berendered obsolete by scientists who are confident that people will soon be able to replace lost teeth by growing new ones instead of false teeth, a small ball of cells capable of growing into a new tooth will be implanted where the missing one used to be the procedure needs only a local anesthetic and the new tooth should be fully formed within a few months of the cells being implanted. Paul Sharpe, a specialist in the field of regenerative dentistry at the Dental Institute of king's College, London, says the new procedure has distinct advantages over false teeth that require a metal post to be driven into the jaw before being capped with a porcelain or plastic tooth. The surgery today can be extensive and you need to have good solid bone in the jaw and that is a major problem for some people," The method could be used on far more patients because the ball of cells that grows in to a tooth also produces bone that anchors to the jaw. The choice of growing a new tooth is likely to appeal to patients. "Anyone who has lost teeth will tell you that, given the chance, they would rather have their own teeth than false ones," The average indian over 50 has lost 12 teeth from a set of 32. The procedure is fairly simple. Doctors take stem cells from the patient. These are unique in their ability to form any of the tissues that make up the body. By carefully nurturing the stem cells in a laboratory, scientists can nudge the cells down a path that will make them grow into a tooth. After a couple of weeks, the ball of cells, known as bud, is ready to be implanted. Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar: an incisor - the bud will form, Using a local anaesthetic, the tooth bud is inserted through a small incision into the gum. Within months, the cells will have matured into a fully-formed tooth, fused to the jawbone. As the tooth grows, it releases chemicals that encourage nerves and blood vessels to link up with it.

Authors

• Dr. Shandar Siddiqui (M.D.S.), (Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry),
  Vananchal Dental College and Hospital, Garhwa Clinic-Patna Health Care, Sabzibag, Patna-4
• Dr. Imran Saba, M. D. Pathology, Government Medical Officer, Government of Bihar

Editor

• Dr. Mobeen Khan MDS (Oral Medicine & Radiology),
  Senior lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, CDCH Safedabad Barabanki, U.P.
  Oral and Maxillofacial Specialist and Consultant, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist.

Contributors

• Dr. Randhir Kumar, Professor and Head, Dept. of Periodontics and Oral Implantology, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India
• Dr. Sharib Abdus Salam, Sr. Lecturer, Dept. of Periodontics and Oral Implantology, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna
• Dr. Safia Haideri, Sr. Lecturer, Dept of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna
• Dr. Asad Iqubal, Sr. Lecturer, Dept of oral Medicine and Radiology, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna