New Gel Could Regenerate Human Teeth

Cavities in teeth are normally drilled clean and then filled with an artificial material. This procedure could become obsolete if a new hormone treatment proves successful:

The gel or thin film contains a peptide known as MSH, or melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Previous experiments, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that MSH encourages bone regeneration.

Bone and teeth are fairly similar, so the French scientists reasoned that if the MSH were applied to teeth, it should help healing as well.

To test their theory, the French scientists applied either a film or gel, both of which contained MSH, to cavity-filled mice teeth. After about one month, the cavities had disappeared, said Benkirane-Jessel.

Link via Popular Science | Image: NIH

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This is interesting, but I've read that there is also research being done into the specific mechanism of tooth replacement (Like when you lose your baby teeth), and scientists have identified and isolated the two hormones responsible for controlling (and turning off) dental growth. They have been experimenting on mice, as usual, with favorable results. Once they are through playing with their lab rats it will be possible to go to the doctor (or dentist) and get a shot in two specific places of the mouth which will trigger the replacement of all of your teeth at once. So, in response to the statement "nevermind regrow a tooth"... It's being worked on.