Slashdot Mirror


Canadian Scientists Regrow Teeth

54mc writes "APL reports that Canadian Scientists have created the first device able to regrow teeth and bones. The researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton filed patents earlier this month in the United States for the tool based on low-intensity pulsed ultrasound technology after testing it on a dozen dental patients in Canada."

2 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. What about bones illness? by KarMax · · Score: 5, Interesting
    This is amazing... i never imagine that this could be possible.

    It can also stimulate jawbone growth to fix a person's crooked smile and may eventually allow people to grow taller by stimulating bone growth, Chen said.
    I'm far away to know something about odontology, so i ask to the slashdot doctors:
    This stimulation process could be used to cure bone illness, like Osteoporosis or Osteosarcoma ??

    Thanks in advance.
    --
    Rock and Roll
  2. Dental technology by foniksonik · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've complained before and will again, that dentistry has been the most underwhelming of 'sciences' for the past 100 years. What advances have we seen since the use of anaesthetics to reduce the pain? We got ultra-violet whitening systems.... and veneers.

    So finally there's some progress. First was the company in florida which has since sort of gone into hiding... they showed a solution of genetically engineered oral bacteria that would take over control of the mouth by out-competing the native breed.. but were engineered to not create cavities. Haven't heard much on that front recently though. Maybe they got bought up by the makers of Crest or something...

    Now we have a device that can regrow eroded tooth material... well it's something at least.

    Maybe I can stop thinking of the whole practice of drilling and gouging and filling in with metals as the most barbaric so-called treatments of any human health problem. Dentistry is still at the equivalent stage of just cutting off the leg when it's broken, rather than fixing it. Hopefully that is about to change.

    --
    A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.