Sometimes I think these scientists drag out these types of research so that they have never ending grant funds and job security. God forbid that their research ever really bare fruit for those with no teeth, or failing organs. Rarely do we see articles that say the research is now in human trials or that within the year you will be able to have this done by your doc or dentist. It's always the mice that get to have their hair regrown or to have nice new teeth, livers, kidneys, and hearts.

X2 You would think by now they could turn on and off the genes to grow new teeth, but just like 100+mpg cars there is too much money that would be loss if such a process came about.

Ah the irony....the British are leading the way in research on teeth.

Another idea that will take decades before people can actually benefit from it. For starters, how do they tell the 'seeds' that the bitey teeth go at the front and the chewy teeth down the sides? Or can they separate and select at the petrie dish stage? A random mixture would be miles worse than the false teeth they are trying to replace.

Brilliant! The Dental Industry can, over the years, drill the enamel off your teeth so they rot and have to be extracted, then they grow you new ones. This idea will keep people in jobs - ruining teeth.

@Thunderbird4: The dental industry doesn't need to damage teeth to keep growing new ones. People do that all by themselves. Drinking acidic, sugary beverages, getting tongue rings, not cleaning nooks and crannies properly, failing to consume enough calcium… then there is normal wear and tear. All this adds up to more than enough work for dentists without their having to practice anything nefarious.

"never ending grant funds".. Haha, that's like admonishing people betting on the horses at the racetrack>> "They have it so easy...just put down a few bets a day, and live on $100k a year in winnings."
Grants are incredibly hard to get. The competition is fearsome. The reward rate is typically less than 10% of the applications, which doesn't even count the disqualifications for failure to meet the guidelines. When you hear about a successfully-funded grant project, it like hearing about a winner in the state-run lottery: Yes, someone always wins, but that doesn't mean that playing the lottery is a viable method of generating monthly income.

Are ANY of the things written about in these articles EVER coming to market? I read about this 2 years ago.

They've been saying for 10 or 15 years that they'd be able to generate replacement teeth from stem cells. I can't understand why this is such a slow process, when tech advances in other areas are happening fast.

Hockey players and people with no dental plans should be the first recipients. Dentistry is still, relatively, in the dark ages despite composite fillings and enamel strengtheners. Dental offices are like body shops, with the somewhat nauseating smell of cloves and ground tooth standing in for two-part body-filler and paint.