Dentures sitting in a glass of water beside a bed could become history if scientists working on stem cell science are successful in their research on replacing lost teeth by growing new ones.

Rather than resorting to false teeth,stem cells taken from the patient are grown into a small ball of cells that are capable of growing into a new tooth. This ball of cells will then be implanted where the missing one used to be. The procedure can be performed under only local anesthetic. The new tooth should be fully formed within a few months of the procedure. The full article goes on...:

"Paul Sharpe, a specialist in the field of regenerative dentistry at the Dental Institute of King's College, London, says the new procedure has distinct advantages over false teeth that require a metal post to be driven into the jaw before being capped with a porcelain or plastic tooth.

The method could be used on far more patients because the ball of cells that grows into a tooth also produces bone that anchors to the jaw."

What are your thoughts on this new application of stem cell medicine? What are other future possibilities?