The team’s astonishing success in this project comes at a time when conventional treatments for broken and missing teeth are increasingly coming under criticism. Not only are the procedures required very painful but they can also be very dangerous and have been linked to an increased risk of liver disease, kidney disease, and heart disease. The reason for this is that dentists do not check for biocompatibility when they are inserting implants into patient’s mouths.
The body sometimes rejects the implant in the mouth, leading to inflammation and an increased risk of cavities in some patients. For very unlucky patients, dental implants can even cause major health problems. If the body rejects an implant, it can exacerbate an already existing auto-immune disease or even trigger one who was lying latent. Naturally, this could result in severe health problems for the patient.
While medical professionals tend to be fairly conservative and prefer to stick with tried and tested measures, Mao and his team are hopeful that their new technique will catch on. Despite the fact that their replacement procedure is expensive and takes nine weeks to complete entirely, they hope that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Not only does the stem cell replacement tooth lack the risks associated with inserting a foreign body into the patient’s mouth but it will also be cosmetically superior.
Originally published by:
http://ewao.com/2017/11/23/goodbye-dental-implants-dentist-grows-new-teeth-in-just-9-weeks/