Lasers are now being used to regenerate some parts of the teeth with damage and researchers from the United States claim that it could also prevent root canal treatments in the future.
Based on a new study, scientists used focused laser light therapy on mice to stimulate the development of a lost calcified tissue which compromises the teeth called dentin. The team notes that if therapy proves to be effective in humans, it might someday eliminate the need for fillings, crowns and other complicated dental operations.
The researchers placed two rats beside each other and administered laser treatment to one tooth. They found that the treated tooth had around twice the total regeneration which happened on the untreated one after only a five-minute single laser treatment.
Another study on a group of mice with tooth defects tested the effectiveness of light therapy by drilling parts of their dentin. They focused the laser on the exposed soft tissues and tooth structures and after 12 weeks, they saw new dentin formed in their teeth.
Scientists are fascinated with stem cells throughout the body because of its ability to be different cell types. They have the ability to replace or repair worn out or damaged tissues. Medical researchers have long been looking for ways to make these useful.
The potential to naturally regrow dental tissues could make a breakthrough in dentistry as regrowing teeth rather than replacing them with substitutes like porcelain will be possible. Once the technique is fully understood, it could potentially be used to regenerate skin, muscle and bones and heal wounds.
"What wouldn't come out of this is that a whole tooth could be regenerated. One tooth tissue could show some signs of regeneration or repair, but that's a million miles from regenerating a tooth," professor and director of International Center for Evidence-Based Oral Health at the University College London Ian Needleman said. "It is interesting as a model of whether laser light can play a part in regenerative medicine, but in terms of dentistry it's not offering an innovation at the moment."
Lasers used to stimulate stem cells are appealing because of its minimally invasive procedure, requiring only light on an exposed damaged area. Researchers previously theorized that it was possible since lasers stimulate growth for unclear reasons. The technique should still be tested on humans to determine whether or not possible and futuristic treatments are possible.
