United States: The King’s College London scientific team conducted research with Imperial College London to recreate natural tooth development conditions.
The researchers built a material that permitted cell signaling and further development of tooth cells.
Bioengineered teeth demonstrate potential as a superior and thriving option compared to existing dental fixtures in modern dentistry.
Smart Materials Enable Natural Cell Signaling
Real teeth grown from biotechnology represent a potential solution because they provide natural tooth function and avoid the structural degradation of fillings together with the surgical procedures needed for implants.
According to Xuechen Zhang from King’s College London’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, “We developed this material in collaboration with Imperial College 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,” tomorrowsworldtoday.com reported.
🇬🇧NO MORE FILLINGS? SCIENTISTS GROW TEETH IN A LAB — FOR REAL
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 15, 2025
Scientists at King’s College London have pulled off a wild feat: they’ve grown actual teeth in a lab dish.
Like, real, functioning, self-repairing teeth.
Instead of stuffing your cavities with metal or plastic, this… pic.twitter.com/35Te9ZneEC
“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,” Zhang noted.
From Lab Bench to Dental Chair
Researchers must now focus on developing a procedure that allows lab-grown teeth to be moved from the laboratory through successful patient transplants.
“We have different ideas to put the teeth inside the mouth. We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside the mouth. Alternatively, we could create the whole tooth in the lab before placing it in the patient’s mouth. For both options, we need to start the very early tooth development process in the lab,” as Xuechen mentioned.
A new study, known as regenerative medicine, represents a part of accelerating scientific growth and aims to employ biological techniques for damaged tissue replacement instead of artificial components.