Tooth Regeneration Coming Soon 289
Ponca City, We love you writes "For thousands of years, losing teeth has been a routine part of human aging. Now the Washington Post reports that researchers are close to growing important parts of teeth from stem cells, including creating a living root from scratch, perhaps within one year. According to Pamela Robey of the NIH. 'Dentists say, "Give me a root and I can put a crown on it."' In a few years dentists will treat periodontal disease with regeneration by using stem cells to create hard and soft tissue; they will take out a tooth that is about to fall, and reconnect it firmly to the regenerated tissue. Although nobody is predicting when it will be possible to grow teeth on demand, in adults, to replace missing ones, a common guess is five to ten years. Baby and wisdom teeth are sources of stem cells that could be 'banked' for future health needs, says Robey. 'When you think about it, the teeth children put under their pillows may end up being worth much more than the tooth fairy's going rate. Plus, if you still have your wisdom teeth, it's nice to know you're walking around with your own source of stem cells.'"
My opinion (Score:5, Funny)
Going rate... (Score:5, Funny)
My parents were good to me, they adjusted the 25-cents a tooth they got for inflation... wonder what I'll have to pay my kids?
Hm. Great (Score:4, Funny)
Now the replacement after the painful procedure will ALSO be able to rot and hurt like the original. Fuck yeah !
(only half joking. I was really happy after a root channel treatment, as that damn think was finally dead and not able to hurt anymore. In constrast to the year before.)
Re:Going rate... (Score:5, Funny)
My parents were good to me, they adjusted the 25-cents a tooth they got for inflation... wonder what I'll have to pay my kids?
My six year old son says two dollars. But then he has a DS game buying habit to suppport.
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:3, Funny)
Plus, if you still have your wisdom teeth
I don't have them ... my dentist finally convinced me to have them removed a couple years ago.
Wasn't there something recently about making stem cells from normal (I think) tissue in the reproductive system?
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:4, Funny)
Plus, if you still have your wisdom teeth
I don't have them ... my dentist finally convinced me to have them removed a couple years ago.
Wasn't there something recently about making stem cells from normal (I think) tissue in the reproductive system?
Why must it always boil down to choosing between something cool and losing our fertility? :(
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:4, Funny)
Oh no, look at all the waste! I knew I should have saved it!
Crown? (Score:5, Funny)
'Dentists say, "Give me a root and I can put a crown on it."'
This is the same thing that a king says when looking for a potential queen.
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:2, Funny)
I don't have them ... my dentist finally convinced me to have them removed a couple years ago.
I had mine pulled years ago as well. Now I keep them on a chain around my neck. I get lots of dates now!
A dime?! Luxury! (Score:5, Funny)
A dime?! That we could have been so lucky!
Re: Luuxury! (Score:3, Funny)
I always read that with a Yorkshire accent.
Re:My opinion (Score:4, Funny)
punbelievable!
Re:If this is true... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Going rate... (Score:5, Funny)
The tooth fairy is a smart, cunning businesswoman planning to cash in big on her investment!
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:My opinion (Score:1, Funny)
Isn't that the tooth.
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:4, Funny)
'Something cool' would seem to be the sensible choice in that case. :-P
Somewhere in Alabama... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:5, Funny)
Somehow I just don't see it as a worthwhile goal to adjust one's diet to affect the taste of your sperm.
Re:I have a friend who grew a tooth. (Score:1, Funny)
Me too. But that's only because I was standing too close to the microwave when it exploded.
How to infuriate the next generation of parents (Score:4, Funny)
When I see people with extreme body modifications like subdermal beads and spikes that protrude from the scalp, I wonder what their children of those people could possibly do to frustrate them.
This article gives me the answer: in 30 years teenagers will grow teeth all over their body.
Re:Where's my GM Strep Mutans? (Score:2, Funny)
That's because their ultimate goal is not money but our precious bodily fluids.
Re:Going rate... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well, now that just SUCKS. (Score:3, Funny)
If you have to evaluate your own results, then probably not.
If you have a partner to do the experimental analysis then it may well be worthwhile.
If you can gather a whole research team, then I'd say you should definitely go for it.