A group of British scientists suggest that you will soon be able to replace missing teeth by growing replacements.
The procedure holds great promise in the U.K., where "the average Briton over 50 has lost 12 teeth from a set of 32."
Link. Image credit to Coverbrowser, which has a collection of 470 Mad covers.
The procedure is fairly simple. Doctors take stem cells from the patient. These are unique in their ability to form any of the tissues that make up the body. By carefully nurturing the stem cells in a laboratory, scientists can nudge the cells down a path that will make them grow into a tooth. After a couple of weeks, the ball of cells, known as a bud, is ready to be implanted. Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar or an incisor - the bud will form.
The procedure holds great promise in the U.K., where "the average Briton over 50 has lost 12 teeth from a set of 32."
Link. Image credit to Coverbrowser, which has a collection of 470 Mad covers.
http://www.neatorama.com/2009/08/05/tooth-grown-from-stem-cells/
Where I live, we've had fluoride in the water since the 50s and we have the best teeth in the country.