Researchers have successfully implanted a bioengineered tooth implant — that "grows" into the gum and fuses with existing nerves — into the mouths of rats.
In a new paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, dental researchers from Tufts University detail their successful rodent experiments with the unique implant, which is coated in stem cells, special proteins, and memory foam-esque nanofibers that expand and integrate with the body's own nervous system.
The titanium posts that are traditionally used to fuse teeth implants to the jawbone often end up damaging nearby nerves, often causing serious pain. This newly-developed implant — which we also heard about earlier this year — offers a novel approach that uses customized surgical equipment and a compressed implant to make the process much smoother.
The implants themselves are smaller than the teeth they're replacing, which not only allows the specialized coating to grow its way into the body's sensory nervous system, but also makes it less traumatic to insert as well.
In the new rodent studies, the implants remained firm and intact six weeks after being inserted — and there was no rejection or inflammation, which signals that the coating works.
"Imaging revealed a distinct space between the implant and the bone, suggesting that the implant had been integrated through soft tissue rather than the traditional fusion with the bone," explained Jake Jinkum Chen, the paper's lead author and the director of Tufts' oral biology school, in a school press release.
According to Chen, this process appears to "help reconnect nerves, allowing the implant to ‘talk’ to the brain much like a real tooth."
"Natural teeth connect to the jawbone through soft tissue rich in nerves, which help sense pressure and texture and guide how we chew and speak," Chen explained. "Implants lack that sensory feedback."
There will need to be much more study and experimentation, including in larger animals than rats, before these implants can make their way into human mouths. Still, it's a fascinating approach — and if further research indicates that these "smart" teeth do, in fact, connect to the brain, it will be even more so.
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