Researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine are on the cusp of creating a groundbreaking bioengineered replacement for missing teeth. Led by Professor Pamela Yelick, the team has successfully grown human-like teeth in pigs using a combination of human and pig tooth cells.
Currently, dental implants rely on titanium anchors that integrate well with bone but lack soft tissue to cushion chewing forces and promote healthy bone turnover. This can lead to complications such as bone resorption and implant failure. To overcome these limitations, Yelick’s team aims to create a living replacement for human teeth, complete with a root system and pulp.
The researchers took an early step towards achieving this goal by creating a bioengineered tooth bud using dental mesenchymal cells from pig jaws and human wisdom teeth. They then implanted the tooth buds into pigs and monitored their development over several months.
The breakthrough came when the team found that the bioengineered teeth developed at a similar rate to natural pig teeth, resembling those of humans in appearance. While more work is needed before biological tooth substitutes can be available for human use, Yelick believes it’s achievable within the next decade.
The ultimate goal is to prompt cells within a person’s jaw to grow new, entirely human teeth without relying on pig cells. By understanding how signaling molecules direct cell behavior, the team hopes to initiate tooth growth from within the jaw, reducing the need for lab-cultured cells.
Source: https://now.tufts.edu/2025/04/24/pigs-can-regrow-their-adult-teeth-what-if-humans-could-too