Lost tooth? Now you can grow a new one

Replacement teeth could be regrown within months, experts said today.

A team from King's College has revealed it has already grown replacement teeth in mice. Human trials could begin within a year.

"The aim is to regrow an entire tooth within the jaw," said Professor Paul Sharp, the project's leader.

Patients would have stem cells - the body's "master cells" - taken from dental pulp, the soft tissue inside their teeth. These would be treated with chemicals to begin the process and be implanted into the jaw, where the tooth would grow.

The process would take about two months, said Professor Sharp.

Although a commercially available procedure is still some time away, the cost should not be more than that of synthetic implants - between ?1,500 and ?2,000.