Science is getting closer…to what? Discovering how to stimulate the growth of a whole new tooth! Meanwhile, dental implants offer Manhattan an awesome alternative for replacing missing teeth. Should you put dental implants on hold to wait for the next scientific breakthrough?

The July 18, 2012 issue of ScienceDaily entitled its article “One Step Closer to Growing a Tooth”. Yes, the Institute of Biotechnology in Helsinki, Finland discovered that a mouse incisor continuously renews itself and such growth is fueled by stem cells located at the base of its tooth. What does this really mean?

Narrowing it down to a marker known as Sox2 has allowed scientists to observe how those stem cells divide, move and give rise to enamel-forming ameloblasts as well as other cell lineages of a tooth. Armed with such data, they are indeed one step closer to discovering if such dental stem cells can be manipulated into aiding in the production of bio-engineered teeth for humans.

“In the future, it may be possible to grow new teeth from stem cells to replace lost ones,” says researcher Emma Juuri, a co-author of the study.

Meanwhile a truly successful alternative in the replacement of missing teeth has already been established with dental implants. Manhattan residents continue to be thrilled with results at the hands of Dr. Toscano. Arrange your consult today!