With over half of adults in America aged 35 to 44 suffering from the loss of at least one permanent tooth due to decay, anything that could alleviate that would be welcomed by many. New research might be about to change everything when it comes to the teeth in your mouth.

A discovery in regards to dental science

Researchers recently discovered an antibody, USAG-1, that could help regrow lost teeth. In essence, what this research means that if someone lost a tooth, they could grow it right back.

The scientists from Kyoto University in Japan developed the treatment which triggers the body to grow new teeth once they are lost. The group of scientists published their findings in Science Advances in early 2021.

Say goodbye to dentures

If the research proves true, then dentures could be a thing of the past. With such a high rate of tooth loss around the world, the new treatment could be a game-changer when it comes to quality of life.

Mice and ferrets responded favorably to the treatment

Initial experiments involved mice, which were genetically bred with a tooth condition called tooth agenesis, which prohibits the development of all the teeth in the mouth.

After being pregnant mice were injected with the USAG-1 antibody, their offspring developed their teeth normally. Also, regular mice injected with the antibody were able to regrow all new teeth.

Ferrets were also used in the experiments with the same result and researchers hope to move on to animals more similar to humans next.

“Ferrets are diphyodont animals with similar dental patterns to humans. Our next plan is to test the antibodies on other animals such as pigs and dogs,” Katsu Takahashi, the study’s co-author, said in a statement.

It remains to be seen what the antibody treatment can do for human dental issues

While they knew the antibody helped with tooth development, it was still up for debate on whether it would help with new tooth growth. This led to them being pleasantly surprised with the results from their studies with mice and ferrets.

“We knew that suppressing USAG-1 benefits tooth growth. What we did not know was whether it would be enough,” Takahashi added.

And while it is still to be determined what the antibody’s effects in regards to humans will be, it does give hope to people with congenital tooth problems, especially hypodontia.

“Conventional tissue engineering is not suitable for tooth regeneration. Our study shows that cell-free molecular therapy is effective for a wide range of congenital tooth agenesis,” concluded Manabu Sugai, another study co-author.

Hope for the future of this groundbreaking treatment

And while there are treatments for people with dental issues, regrowing teeth would be most ideal, if researchers can develop a reasonable and effective human treatment.

For more on this amazing breakthrough, check out the following video.

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Source: LaterClips, IFLScience, Eurekalert