06/07/2026
What if your body could simply regrow a missing tooth?
It sounds like science fiction, but researchers in Japan are currently testing a drug designed to make that possible. The treatment works by blocking a protein that normally suppresses tooth growth, potentially activating dormant “tooth buds” that some people may still have.
The drug is still in early-stage human safety trials, and it will likely be several years before it could ever become available in dental care. Scientists are cautiously aiming for possible real-world use around 2030, depending on trial results and safety outcomes.
For now, dental implants and dentures remain the standard solutions. But the idea of naturally regrowing a real tooth is moving from theory into early scientific testing, bringing regenerative dentistry a step closer to reality.