Belgian breakthrough in organic tooth fillings could transform dentistry

Belgian breakthrough in organic tooth fillings could transform dentistry
Photo by Atikah Akhtar on Unsplash

Researchers from the KU Leuven and UHasselt have taken the first steps towards reproducing human enamel using stem cells from our own teeth.

The breakthrough could lead to the end of synthetic fillers for cavities, De Morgen reports, along with improvements to toothpaste.

Cavities and tooth decay are the most common infectious diseases in the world, with untreated cavities estimated to affect more than 2 billion people, causing serious health problems as a result.

Researchers Hugo Vankelecom and Lara Hemeryck (KU Leuven), together with Ivo Lambrichts and Annelies Bronckaers (UHasselt), have taken the first major step towards a new solution in the form of biological tooth enamel.

Replacing the old-way of filling cavities

Teeth are exposed daily to acids and sugars that damage enamel. If the damage becomes too severe, the cavities are filled with synthetic white paste. But this is far from perfect, says Vankelecom.

“Under that filling, cells can still die. That is why the filling sometimes has to be drilled out and cleaned again. Moreover, small cracks can always appear where bacteria can nestle and cause new tooth decay.”

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For this reason, the researchers investigated whether it was possible to make enamel on the basis of stem cells from the dental follicle, a membrane that surrounds human teeth that have not yet emerged.

“By isolating those stem cells and making adjustments to them, we got ameloblasts: cells that make enamel,” Vankelecom explained. “By adding other stem cells that produce connective tissue, we got a result that looks even more like the enamel of our teeth.”

Transformations to dentistry still a ways off

It is the first time worldwide that researchers have succeeded in cultivating this type of stem cell and using these cells to mimic the natural process of enamel production, and resulted in a publication in the scientific journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.

However, according to Vankelecom, we are still at least 10 to 15 years away from the moment that such biological enamel can be used in dentistry.

“My ultimate dream is that when we extract someone's wisdom teeth, we can preserve the stem cells from those teeth,” said Vankelecom.

“If that person later has problems with their enamel, then we can use those stem cells to make new enamel.”

The new stem cell model also offers possibilities for research in the food industry or for products like toothpaste. If they can combine the stem cells that create enamel with other stem cells, they may even manage to create an entire biological tooth.

“We know from research, for example, that fluoride strengthens enamel, whereas substances in certain foods tend to damage enamel,” Vankelecom said.

“With this new model, we can look more closely at the exact effects of certain substances on the enamel. In time, this could help us to improve toothpaste, for example.”


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