Scientists Use Laser to Replenish Teeth in Laboratory Mice

A team of researchers at Harvard University believe they are on their way to revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine. In a study using mice, rats, and human cells, the researchers used a laser to regrow teeth.

Through using a low-power laser, the researchers said that the laser light enticed the body's own stem cells into action and repaired damaged teeth. The dental stem cells formed dentin - the hard tissue that makes up a tooth - when exposed to the laser light. The teeth weren't completely replenished, but if this experiment proves effective in humans, it could begin to slowly weed out the frequency of root canals.

The study, "Photoactivation of Endogenous Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Directs Dental Stem Cell Differentiation for Regeneration," was published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. After the researchers used a drill to remove a piece of the animal's tooth, they administered one dose of laser therapy, which revealed the production of a partial layer of dentin in 12 weeks.

However, the laser treatment did not produce a new layer of hard enamel that protects the tooth from surface damage. That procedure would be left to the root canal, but the painful aspects of such an operation would be eliminated, including the removal of dead or dying nerve tissue and bacteria from inside the tooth.

"The tooth is like a house, the dentin is the inner walls, but it still needs a roof and outside walls," said Chris Mason of the University of College London in this BBC News article. "[This procedure] is incredibly low-cost and would be patient-friendly so it seems to have a lot going for it."

The laser light caused oxygen-containing molecules to activate a cell protein responsible for development, healing, and immune functions, which is how the dentin was restored. The protein directed the present stem cells in tooth pulp to turn into dentin. With the discovery of this regenerative process, the researchers believe that the laser treatment can be used to heal wounds, cardiac tissue, inflamed tissues, and bone damage.

Further studies are needed to provide any telling information, but this could be a new significant development in the future.