05/18/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            Tooth Regeneration: Could It Be Part of Dentistry’s Future?
We typically think of tooth loss as a permanent condition – something that can only be addressed with prosthetic solutions like implants, bridges, or dentures. But exciting new research suggests that, in the future, it may be possible to regrow a real, living tooth.
Most people know we develop two sets of teeth in a lifetime: baby teeth and permanent teeth. What’s less commonly known is that many individuals also begin forming a third set of tooth buds during early development. In most people, these buds remain dormant and never erupt – but researchers have discovered ways to potentially reactivate them.
In 2024, researchers in Japan began human clinical trials using a medication that targets a gene called USAG-1, which normally suppresses additional tooth development. By blocking this gene, scientists have successfully triggered the growth of a third, functional tooth in animal studies. The current human trials are focused on children born with congenitally missing teeth, but the approach may expand to adults in the future.
So far, the teeth that have been regenerated in research settings appear anatomically and functionally similar to natural permanent teeth – including full root development, normal structure, and healthy eruption patterns.
This treatment is still in the early stages of testing and is not yet available in clinical practice. However, it’s far enough along that it has the potential to become a meaningful option in restorative dentistry within the next decade.
As a practice, we believe in staying informed about developments that may shape the future of care. While regenerative treatments aren’t part of standard treatment yet, they represent an exciting area of research that may one day offer patients a truly natural alternative to tooth replacement.
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Sources:
1. Tokyo Medical and Dental University – Clinical Trial Announcement
“First-in-human clinical trial for a drug that regenerates teeth”
 2. Nature Communications – Peer-Reviewed Study on USAG-1 Inhibition
“Inhibition of USAG-1 induces tooth regeneration in mice and ferrets”
 3. ScienceAlert – Public Summary of Clinical Trial Plans
“A drug that can regrow teeth is about to be trialed in humans”