Biogengineerter Zahn „wächst“ an Ort und Stelle, um wie real auszusehen und zu fühlen: Wissenschaftler entwickelten ein innovatives neues Implantat, das in den Zahnfleisch „wächst“ und mit vorhandenen Nerven verschmilzt, um einen echten Zahn nachzuahmen. Es wurde erfolgreich bei Nagetieren getestet und funktionierte 6 Wochen nach der Operation wie ein normaler Zahn.

Bioengineered tooth „grows“ in place to look and feel like the real thing

Dental implants look the part, but by design they can’t replace actual teeth. Now scientists have developed an innovative new implant that „grows“ into the gum and fuses with existing nerves to mimic the form and function of a real tooth. What’s more, they’re easier and gentler to put in place, with no bone drilling required.

Tufts University’s School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine researchers have developed what they call a „smart“ implant, an artificial tooth featuring a biodegradable outer layer containing stem cells and a specific protein that triggers the cells to mature into nerve tissue.

Here, it continues to reconnect with nerves as healing proceeds, helping to establish the mouth-to-brain communication that would otherwise have died with the loss of the extracted tooth. This means the artificial tooth can function much like its real neighbors, sensing things like food texture and temperature and playing a role in speech.

While still in the early stages, the implant has been successfully trialed in rodents and was both biocompatible and functioning like a normal tooth six weeks on from surgery.

Here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99923-8