New low-intensity pulsed ultrasound device helps re-grow teeth

We'd gladly trade in most of our gadgets if it meant we never had to go under the drill at the dentist again. But researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada don't want our electronics, they just want a few more years to perfect their low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) technology that they hope will ultimately be able to re-grow lost or severely damaged teeth from the root, eliminating the need for pricey prosthetics and painful procedures. The pea-sized device, which can be held in place by a bracket or a crown, is controlled by a wireless remote and needs to gently massage the gums for 20 minutes a day over the course of four weeks to attain noticeable growth. This tech isn't expected to be available to the public for another two years, so hold off on that all-candy and Red Bull diet you've been planning for just a little longer while you ponder the rather incredible possibility that this method could eventually be used to grow human bones and actually make people taller without subjecting them to any kind of medieval torture.

[steve @ Jun 30th 2006 10:54AM]

ya but stem cells is too controversial
plus
who wants dead baby in their mouth
lol

[yuppicide @ Jun 30th 2006 11:18AM]

Sounds like a vibrating back massager. You ever try those things?! They're good at first, but a few seconds of sitting on them they annoy the hell out of you. They rumble too much and you talk like "w w w what's u u up".

[Clem @ Jun 30th 2006 11:19AM]

Well yeee haaa! This means new teeth for the whole family.

[John Doe @ Jun 30th 2006 12:08PM]

Yah know. You would think the soft drink industry would be funding such research up the ying yang. :-P

[Kevin @ Jun 30th 2006 1:18PM]

Oh my god....This would be so great for basically my whole family. My dad's teeth rotted out over the years from gastric reflux, my mom and I somehow both knocked out our two front teeth as kids, and my 25-year-old sister is 4'11".

[LS @ Jun 30th 2006 1:54PM]

I'm British. 'Nuff said. Bring it on!

[Crazylink @ Jun 30th 2006 2:14PM]

Too bad I already fot that root canal.

[Anita @ Jun 30th 2006 4:05PM]

Actually, we can already regrow bones...the technology is called the Ilizarov (apparatus)...It slices your bone and over the course of months (or years), it slowly pulls apart the two sections, with new bone cells growing in between. It's used most often on little persons and accident victims and can help them grow up to a foot.

[evo @ Jun 30th 2006 8:06PM]

Um, clearly you need to take a biology course...

[Garold @ Jul 2nd 2006 6:08PM]

Could it regrow teeth that were never there to begin with? (I'm missing 14 of my permanent teeth due to a genetic defect.)

[Nathan @ Jul 2nd 2006 9:06PM]

They can pull stem cells from your bone marrow, not as versatile but less rejection and 100% baby free.

[Abdulrashid @ Jul 20th 2006 7:44AM]

I am very happy for that new machine becouse i have recently lost 3 of my teeth but no root was left,i hope it can help to regrow my teeth again. I am waiting for that machine to be produce.

[Erik @ Oct 5th 2006 5:22AM]

Hmm, I wonder what is the frequency and duration of the pulsing of the vibrations. In theory I see no reason why a clever person couldn't do this at home himself. An electronic oscillator circuit is very easy to build and piezo transducers capable of ultrasonic frequencies are fairly cheap to buy. This is teenager's hobby stuff. Why wait until the gold-digging bastards give it to us? We could do it ourselves. Can't be that difficult to put a piezo speaker between your jaws and let it massage the gums, right?

[don cooper @ Dec 28th 2007 12:43PM]

i will volunteer for the teeth regrowing procedure. my email is [e-mail].