Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed and successfully tested a new approach to anchor teeth back in the jaw using stem cells.
Researchers in UIC's Brodie Laboratory for Craniofacial Genetics used stem cells obtained from the periodontal ligament of molars extracted from mice, expanded them in an incubator, and then seeded them on barren rat molars.
The stem cell-treated molars were re-inserted into the tooth sockets of rats.
After two to four months, the stem cells aligned and formed new fibrous attachments between the tooth and bone, firmly attaching the replanted tooth into the animal's mouth, said Smit Dangaria, a bio-engineering doctoral candidate who conducted the research.
Tissue sections showed that the replanted tooth was surrounded by newly formed, functional periodontal ligament fibres and new cementum, the essential ingredients of a healthy tooth attachment.
In contrast, tooth molars that were re-planted without new stem or progenitor cells were either lost or loosely attached and were resorbed, Dangaria said.
He believed that the natural surface of the tooth played an essential role in the study.
"Our strategy could be used for replanting teeth that were lost due to trauma or as a novel approach for tooth replacement using tooth-shaped replicas," said Diekwisch, professor and head of oral biology.
The study was published in an online issue of the journal Tissue Engineering.
