[Oradlist] Teeth grown to order

[Gibbs, S Julian]

The following was forwarded to me today.  Anybody out there 
familiar with it?

Julian

<A 
HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128489/posts">Grow-
your-own to replace false teeth</A>
<A 
HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/medi
cine/story/0,11381,1208510,00.html">The Guardian ^</A> | May 3, 
2004 | Ian Sample
The British institution of dentures sitting in a glass of water 
beside the
bed could be rendered 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 
anaesthetic
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," Professor Sharpe said. 
The method
could be used on far more patients because the ball of cells that 
grows into 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," said Prof Sharpe. The average Briton 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 a bud, is ready to be 
implanted.
Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar or 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. Tests 
have shown
the technique to work in mice, where new teeth took weeks to grow. 
"There's no
reason why it shouldn't work in humans, the principles are the 
same," said
Prof Sharpe. His team has set up a company, Odontis, to exploit the 
technique,
and has won £400,000 from the National Endowment for Science, 
Technology and
the Arts and the Wellcome Trust.



***********************************************************
S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD              Office: 615-322-1477
Professor, Emeritus
Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Vanderbilt University Medical Center     Home: 615-356-3615
209 Oxford House        Email:s.julian.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
Nashville TN 37232-4245     or alias:j.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
***********************************************************
When health is absent
          -Wisdom cannot reveal itself,
          -Art cannot become manifest,
          -Strength cannot fight,
          -Wealth becomes useless and
          -Intelligence cannot be applied.
                          -Herophilus, 325 B.C.
                           Physician to Alexander the Great