Tooth Regeneration Coming Soon

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.'"

Comments

Re:Stem cell research is starting to look good

[plnix0]

Speaking of making up definitions... nice signature.

Point of fact, the difference between embryo and fetus is purely subjective.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]: fetus n : an unborn or unhatched vertebrate in the later stages of development showing the main recognizable features of the mature animal [syn: {foetus}]

(emphasis added)

From a moral standpoint, a fetus is equivalent to an embryo. Then again, so are you.

Re:Nothing but good stuff here.

[Hurricane78]

Yeah. All this technology, so you can continue stuffing crap into you and not moving your ass.
Got 100 pounds of fat on you, rotting teeth and a dumbed down brain? Just fix it. I'll learn nothing from it and eat that shit again, and again.
Got a broken leg? Just fix it. I'll learn nothing from it, and break it again.
Just fix it. So I don't have to change or think. Because what world would that be?

I really really wish, there was a large and dangerous predator, who would eat all those who weren't fit enough. Maybe a pandemic.
We are so many people, that the individual person does not have to be able to survive anything anymore.
Put any of those chubby losers out there, and they can't even find something to eat or live in, in a jungle!

Now get off my tree-house! :P